Summer With The Grangers
by draco-severus-mmm
Summary: AU WIP Ch39 up Draco has been targeted to be Voldemort's righthand man throughout 6th year, and the only way to avoid this horrible destiny is to be removed from the Wizarding World over summer. Where will he stay? With the Grangers.
1. Breakfast

**Disclaimer: If you recognise it, I don't own it. However even though I have read a couple of stories similar to this one, I did come up with the concept all on my little lonesome, and have not outright copied anyone's text. If I wish to use someone's ideas I will acknowledge them. Thanks, and hope you enjoy "Summer with the Grangers"! ;-)**

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**Chapter 1: Breakfast**

"Rise and shine, Mr Malfoy, it's time to get up!!!" a voice said in an ironically cheerful voice.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!! STOP HITTING ME!!!" Draco Malfoy yelled to the arm that was slapping him across his face rather forcefully. He managed to wriggle free from the arm, which retracted quickly, and turned to face his alarm clock, the one his parents had got him after he had kept ceasing to wake up on time. He would curse the thing till the day he died, and his parents more so for buying it in the first place. The alarm clock looked like an ordinary Muggle alarm clock, from the analogue face to the shiny steel bells and handle at the top. Only when it activated, the face of the clock would become animated and speak. If that did not wake the slumbering person, the two bells would part and an arm would extend out to slap the offending person who dared sleep in.

_Bloody hell,_ he thought. _I'm so tired, let me go back to sleep!_

He seemed to have a terrible habit of staying up to all hours to do homework, or even just to read, without thinking of what he'd be like in the morning. Each morning he vowed he would go to bed earlier, and each night he would stay up late again.

Luckily for Draco, it was Friday, and furthermore, it was the last week of classes before exams started. This meant that it was his last week of getting up at 6:30 for class for another year, because exams were usually held in the afternoons. He eventually dragged himself out of his warm and comfortable four-poster bed and went to have a shower and get ready for breakfast.

By the time he was ready, Crabbe and Goyle were surfacing from their beds.

"Oy, Crabbe, Goyle, make it quick, alright? Don't wanna be late for class do you?" he sneered.

"Whatever, Malfoy," Crabbe retorted.

"What?" Draco glared at Crabbe. "What did you say?"

"We'll get ready, Malfoy. Don't worry, we won't be late," Goyle replied for Crabbe.

Draco narrowed his eyes, for a second, and then said, "Good. Because I won't wait for you." He gave Crabbe another look and turned around and left the dormitory.

"You never do," Crabbe said to no-one in particular.

**&&&&&&&&&& **

Hermione Granger had been awake since 5:30 that morning, unable to get back to sleep. This wasn't a usual occurrence, but every now and then she'd find that she was unable to get back to the same comfortable slumber from which she had awoken. She usually wiled away the time until breakfast by catching up on reading or doing some revision. This morning was no different.

She sat at the large mahogany table in the Gryffindor common room with parchment in front of her, quill in hand and a few large books opened and spread around her.

_I can't believe exams are next week,_ she thought to herself. _I hope I'll be prepared for them._

If anyone had have heard her thoughts, they would have not only laughed rather hysterically, but given her hell for the rest of the day, and quite possibly all weekend. It was a known fact that Hermione was the smartest student in the year level, and was even cleverer than some seventh years.

She looked at her watch. _7:15am_. She sighed quietly and was packing her things up when Harry and Ron surfaced from their dorms ready to head down to the Great Hall. Ron, who stood a good half foot taller than his scruffy-haired mate, was gawking with disbelief at the pile of books in her hands.

"What?" asked Hermione.

"You've read up on _everything_ already Hermione," Ron answered. "What could you have possibly missed?"

"Exams start next week Ron, are _you_ prepared? You can never do too much study, and besides, we _are_ completing our N.E.W.T. levels next year, and I want to do well in them."

Ron rolled his eyes and looked to Harry. "Can you believe her?"

Harry hesitated. "As much as study isn't my favourite thing to do Ron, Hermione does have a point. I wouldn't mind getting good scores either because I need them to become an Auror."

Ron gave a small look of irritation at Harry, but said nothing. Rod had also wanted to become an Auror but didn't get an O for his Potions O.W.L. It had made a small void in their friendship, but wasn't apparent unless the topic arose in conversation. He had resigned to simply trying his best in his other subjects and deciding during his final year what he wanted to do after leaving Hogwarts.

"So," Harry broke the silence that was threatening to become awkward, "shall we go down to breakfast?"

"Yeah alright, but I've just got to go put my books back in my dorm," Hermione said. "Wait for me okay?"

She didn't wait for a response but hurried off to her room. She returned quickly and they made their way down to the Great Hall.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

During breakfast they didn't say much as all three were thinking about the upcoming exams. As much as Ron didn't wish to admit, he was quite worried about how he was going to go this year. Mrs Weasley had not been too pleased about his Average in Potions and wondered how he could have got it when Harry himself had got an Outstanding.

They had just got up from the table when they heard a familiar drawl behind them, "Got over your little infatuation with Granger yet Weasley?"

They all turned around to face a smirking Malfoy. Ron went as red as his hair. Hermione had politely given Ron the flick in the middle of the year claiming they were better off as friends. Ron still liked Hermione, but knew nothing more would happen. He looked as if he was about to attack Malfoy but Harry verbally beat him to it.

"What happened between you and Pansy, Malfoy?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Lately she seems to be hanging all over Goyle, and that's saying something."

Malfoy steely grey eyes flashed with malice, but he blushed ever so slightly. "What happened between Parkinson and I has _nothing_ to do with you, Potter."

"Funny, the same could be said about your question to Ron. Now if you don't mind, _we_ have classes to go to." And with that, Harry quickly led a shocked Hermione and an angry Ron away from a clearly fuming Malfoy back to Gryffindor tower.

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**Comments:**

The whole "going to bed late, getting up even later" concept is one I'm sure many are familiar with, I happened to write this part at about 2am, so I thought it fitted quite well!

I will be chopping and changing between Hermione and Draco so I hope people don't get confused by this. When talking in Draco's perspective I will call him Draco (obviously) and Hermione I will call Granger (since that is what Draco would call her). For Hermione's perspective she will be called Hermione, and Draco will then be called Malfoy. Tell me if this is confusing, or if it sounds crap, but the idea was there...

Also, I haven't been able to read the books in a bit, so any minor details that I haven't got right, please tell me, cos anything that makes the storyline a bit more genuine means that it will be more enjoyable.

Lastly (this is the all-important first chapter after all), I may not be able to post chapters as readily as I would like, since this is a work in progress and I have my university exams in a week lasting three weeks. Please bear with me, though because I really wanna write this story.


	2. Revelations

**Once again, I didn't just somehow suddenly own all of JK Rowling's characters, as much as I would love to!**

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**Chapter 2: Revelations**

Draco was still carrying the after-affects of the confrontation when he entered the classroom in the dungeons for Potions after lunch. No-one had dared to approach him about Pansy's falling out with him, and what's more they all seemed to side with him. After all, it was Pansy that broke it off. Not that it made him feel any better. He didn't particularly care for Pansy greatly. She was alright looking, but he wasn't particularly attached to her. Still in a general sense, when someone says they prefer the company of others, it leaves a rather dejected feeling in the heart. And because she took up with Goyle, who reminded Draco of an over-grown hippopotamus, it made a rather bad impression on him. He tried not to let it bother him greatly, but to then have Potter clearly happily remind him that morning that it wasn't him that ended things, but Pansy, it made Draco feel like shit. For once, Potter had been able to get the upper hand on him, and it only made the situation worse.

He'd managed to get through his first classes okay due to a rather amusing Transfigurations class and a rather boring (as usual) History of Magic class. During Transfiguration, Pavarti Patil managed to transfigure her rock into a spider when they were supposed to be making them disappear. The look on her face afterwards was priceless and it certainly put Draco in a better mood. He didn't know what happened in History of Magic. After Professor Binns started to drone on about the Great Conflict of the Irish Wizards and the British Wizards over land rights, he fell promptly asleep.

However, when he realised he'd have the share a class with Potter and Granger after their confrontation, he soon became annoyed again. To make things worse, he noticed on the way in that Potter was looking quite smug, and it caused Draco to turn away in disgust. Thankfully, Potions was his best subject and so he was able to forget about his little confrontation of that morning, and could concentrate on his Skele-Gro potion. It was a complex potion, one that required a lot of obscure ingredients, and a great deal of patience. He paired up with Millicent Bullstrode, who actually proved to have gained some knowledge in the field of Potions in the last two years, and they were able to get through the lesson relatively unscathed. _Relatively_, since they did forget to add the eye of newt at precisely the right time, and the mixture burped at them in dissatisfaction and covered their robes in the fowl smelling substance.

At the end of the class, he heard Professor Snape call Granger up the front of the room and he looked over in interest. Snape never made any attempt to show particular interest in any of his students' work, especially the Gryffindors, but merely gave them their mark along with a snide call and left it at that. She looked quite ruffled as she approached his front desk. Draco unconsciously turned his full attention to the scene playing out in front of him and saw Snape quickly say something to Granger. She said something back, and with a curt nod of his head, Snape signalled for Granger to leave.

As she was leaving, Snape said with his usual impassive tone, "I'll let Professor Flitwick know that you won't be attending his class, Miss Granger. I'm sure you will catch up in your own time. Mr Malfoy, I suggest you leave now, otherwise you will be late for your next class."

_Shit, busted._

"Yes Professor."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Charms class had nearly finished when a loud irritating knock was heard on the heavy oak door, causing everyone in the room to jump in shock. Professor Flitwick charmed the wards away and in his high pitched voice said, "You may enter."

A rather irritated but unusually tired-looking Snape swept into the room and walked straight up to Flitwick's large desk. "Excuse me, Professor," he muttered quietly, "but Headmaster has requested to speak to Mr Malfoy. I'm afraid it's a matter of utmost importance."

Flitwick eyed Snape after hearing the unusually concerned voice, and noticed that the malicious look in Snape's ebony eyes was missing. Obviously something was wrong. "Very well, Severus. Mr Malfoy?" Flitwick called.

_What have I supposedly done now?_

"Yes sir?" he answered.

"It appears that Headmaster Dumbledore has requested to speak to you, and it seems it cannot wait. Please quickly pack up your things as you won't be returning to the classroom, and Professor Snape will take you to see him."

_That old fool? Why?_

Draco sighed, packed up his things then Snape escorted him out of the classroom.

"Sir, may I ask what this is about?" he asked Snape.

Snape turned his head briefly and looked at the young almost-albino student looking inquisitorially back at him. "I cannot tell you Draco, as it's somewhat of a serious matter, but you will find out soon enough," Snape replied almost dismissively.

Draco racked his brain trying to think of something he had done, but found he couldn't come up with anything. It seemed he had matured somewhat over the last year or so and concluded that childish pranks such as releasing Exploding Snap games in the girls toilets, whilst funny back in second and third year, were exactly that – childish.

They continued up to Dumbledore's office in silence, as it was clear to Draco that Snape clearly had other things on his mind, and it was never advisable to catch Snape out at moments like that with seemingly pointless questions. Oh well, he would find out soon enough, as Snape said.

They approached the gargoyle guarding the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office, and Snape said dismissively, "Liquorice Twist."

The gargoyle regarded Snape with a solemn nod of its head and jumped out of the way. Behind it revealed a circular staircase which Draco and Snape started to ascend.

Once at the top, they approached the big double oak doors which Snape opened and gestured for Draco to enter. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, face quite solemn, and there was someone else sitting to the right side of him, although their head was turned to the side. Upon closer inspection, Draco realised who it was.

"Granger!" he said with disdain. _What the hell are you doing here?!_

She turned and shot him a look, but said nothing.

"Yes, Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore answered for her. "You see what I am about to tell you concerns Miss Granger as well. That is why I requested that she too be present. Of course I have already explained to her what I am about to tell you."

_Bloody Granger, bet she's happy about that_.

She turned her head back to Dumbledore. Draco eventually turned back to Dumbledore as well but his look did not change.

"Mr Malfoy, I believe you will be here for more than a few minutes so I suggest you sit down." Dumbledore conjured up a rather comfortable looking armchair of green velvet lined with silver piping and tussles to the left of his desk. Draco sat down in a huff. Dumbledore also conjured up another armchair of the same design in front of his desk and motioned for Snape to sit as well.

"Draco," Dumbledore continued, "This has nothing to do with past pranks or other rivalries. Nor does it have anything to do with failing grades, since you do not have any. You can be rest assured, otherwise Miss Granger would not be present. Unfortunately, this is something of much greater concern to you."

Draco looked at Dumbledore with a bit more interest.

"I will not beat around the bush with such serious matters. You see, over the last 18 months it has been brought to our attention that Lord Voldemort might be seeking new recruits to his band of death eaters to replace those who were killed or incarcerated in Azkaban. He realised the easiest way to band together more followers was to go directly to the children of those lost death eaters, feeling they wanted revenge for what happened to their parents. And you Draco, were number one on his list."

Draco was stunned. This was not what he was expecting to hear from Dumbledore.

"But, but I told you at New Year's that I didn't want to become a death eater!" he stammered.

"I know that. But Lord Voldemort does not. Seeing how your father was quite high up in the ranks, he believed that you would follow suit to avenge Lucius' imprisonment. He felt you were the most power-driven of the offspring to let anyone attack your father, and this drive would make you a favourable right-hand man."

Draco remained shocked. He _had_ wanted to avenge his father's seemingly wrongful imprisonment, for a cause he thought was just. It was Potter who had put him there, along with the rest of the Order of the Phoenix, and so he was even more determined for it to happen. However, from the time since he didn't have the presence of his father at Château de Malfoi, he started to realise that he didn't want to go down the same path as him. This also made him question whether or not everything that had been preached to him when he was younger was in fact true and right. He had approached his mother on some of these topics during a weekend visit. Narcissa, being one from the other powerful pure-blood family the Black's, she was expected to share the same opinion as Lucius. But Draco realised that her opinions were not quite as _gauche_ as his father's. Furthermore, she had honestly thought it a waste of time for Lucius to join the death eaters Draco still maintained a distinct disliking towards Muggle-borns, feeling that they were still not as talented as pure-borns (_with the exception of Granger, she was a fluke_) but the talk with his mother left him not feeling as strongly as he had previously.

Unable to think of anything to say himself, Draco eventually signalled for Dumbledore to continue.

"I'm afraid that that is just the beginning of it. You may not have noticed, unless of course you had been out of bed after curfew," Dumbledore peered over his half-moon glasses with a glint in his eyes, "that there's been a considerable number of outsiders wandering around the grounds and the corridors at night. These outsiders are actually some of the Ministry's finest Aurors keeping watch in case of attacks on the castle by death eaters." Seeing the look on Draco's face as one of confusion, he stopped and thought for a moment, then kept going. "I see you don't appear to understand something. You wonder why they didn't just attack Mr Potter and take him directly to Lord Voldemort?" Draco nodded in alarm. _Bastard always seems to know what you're thinking._ "Lord Voldemort's plan isn't just to go after Harry Potter, as some might believe.

"There was one instant where he could have killed Harry. Remember the day of the 3rd task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Draco nodded. "I remember it all too clearly. Terrible day that was." Dumbledore paused for a brief moment before continuing. "However, getting back to the point, Lord Voldemort does not actively seek out Harry Potter. He is his biggest enemy, true, but he only seeks him out if he starts to get in his way of plan to vanquish all Muggle-borns. In order to execute this plan, he needs a large following to do so. As powerful a wizard as Lord Voldemort is, even he cannot take on a large contingency of wizards and witches by himself. Therefore, he needs to recruit more followers to help him with his cause. That's where the offspring of former death eaters fit in.

"There were two attacks on Hogwarts, the second more difficult to fight than the first. The first attack occurred at the end of November when the school was winding down for the Christmas holidays. They tried to get in from under the Whomping Willow, since there was one amongst them who knew the secret in controlling it. This was something that the Aurors were somewhat aware of, but did not think the death eaters would try. It just goes to show that even the best of us often overlook the minor details.

"The Aurors realised there was an impending attack when the knowledgable death eater ran past one Auror about to change shifts, still in the guise of his Animagus form, a rat. The Auror had heard about this death eater and his past experiences and therefore could recognise him at a moment's glance. She Stupefied the rat, and quickly notified the rest of the Aurors who swarmed down to the tree to find six death eaters surfacing from the hole under the willow. Out of the six, three of them were caught and taken directly to Azkaban, as was the Animagus, but the remaining three managed to escape back down the hole after realising that they were being counter-attacked. We were lucky that time. No casualties, only one Auror was seriously injured in the attack, and even he recovered quickly.

"Voldemort didn't seem to worry too much about that failure, although he did still punish those failing death eaters severely. Never-the-less, the Christmas break was near and he felt that he could confront unsuspecting families over the break. We also worried this might be the case, and so I wrote to all Hogwarts families warning them of this. Your mother wrote to me saying that she did not wish for you to follow in your father's footsteps since it already caused enough grief for the family. I also believe that she may have had other opinions to your father but due to his powerful influence over those who knew him, never made them known. So of course she wrote to you saying that she would be staying with some relatives in France, and that she wanted you to stay at Hogwarts. I don't doubt that had she not done this, you would now be a death eater.

"It was apparent that Voldemort did try to draft you into his group, because he not only attacked your house, but burnt down one of the guest wings, obviously thinking it was the main living quarters."

Draco had to grab at the arms of the chair to stop him from falling off. He covered his face with his hands and could only imagine the devastation. He eventually looked up, showing his usually pale face looking white. "Wh, wh, what about my mother?" his voice was barely a whisper.

"Rest assured, Draco. She was where no harm could be done." Draco sighed in relief. "You see she did actually go and stay with your relatives in France, suspecting an attack would occur. However upon returning she was dismayed at what damage had been done to the manor, and again owled me to keep a good eye on you for she feared greatly for your safety. This we did oblige to, not that they hadn't been doing so in the first place. But we knew that it was only a matter of time before another attack would be launched. This time, they only had three children of former death eaters to recruit. Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bullstrode and yourself. Of course, they weren't expecting that they would have to make another attack to acquire you. They thought you would have already been within their flock. They may not have launched another attack if they did have you, which would have left Miss Parkinson and Miss Bullstrode alone. But they didn't, and Voldemort wanted you, stopping at nothing until he did.

"It occurred in April when the weather was warmer. This time, they launched an air strike." Dumbledore's voice broke ever so slightly. It was clear that he didn't wish to remember this day at all. "I don't think I need to inform you of finer details, but I will just say that this was much, much worse than the last attack. If you knew nothing of it then I am greatly shocked. But the Aurors, those that survived, did put up a tremendous battle on brooms. Although they were not alone that night, and thank goodness for that, since it may have otherwise turned out very differently. All the owls from the owlery had surfaced for their nocturnal flights at around the same time. Being a few hundred, and seeing the battle that was occurring, ambushed the death eaters until they could no longer see what they were doing clearly and the Aurors were able to plan a better attack."

Draco, voice shaking, was determined to speak. "I do remember that night Headmaster. I woke up because I heard a huge commotion outside. I rushed to the window to see what it was, but could only see owls attacking people on brooms. I had no idea what was happening, only it did look a bit funny." He flushed pink at this statement since he really had no idea of the intended purpose of the men on brooms, only that it was funny to watch.

Dumbledore said nothing about it, although he did notice the admission of shame on Draco's face. "They were out there protecting you, Draco. Do you understand the significance of this?"

Draco looked into the sparkling blue eyes, to see no spark there, but a look of deep concern. "Yes, Headmaster."

"Then I suggest you listen very intently on what I am about to propose."

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**Comments:**

"...when someone says they prefer the company of others..." (first paragraph) - If anyone recognises this for a line from a song (it isn't the exact line but a bit of a re-working), it's from Nada Surf – Popular, such a good song for describing the best way to break up with someone, aside from it being a good song in general anyway.

I haven't read the books for a good year so I cannot remember whether the Malfoy residence is called anything in particular. A lot of fanfics I've read have it as Malfoy Manor, but then others have it called something else, so I'm not exactly sure. I just like the sound of Château de Malfoi. It sounds aristocratic and because I like the idea that the Malfoys came from France and Anglicised their name. If anyone can verify the name of the Malfoy residence I would be grateful! :-)

The female Auror is Tonks. I made it Tonks because she is part of the Order, as is Sirius. Since she doesn't dob him in to the Ministry during the 5th book, she obviously knows that Pettigrew is still alive, and so has knowledge of the incident of the Shrieking Shack during Harry's 3rd year.


	3. Proposal

**Chapter 3: Proposal**

Hermione sat through Dumbledore's speech changing her gaze from Dumbledore, to Malfoy, then to Snape, and back to Dumbledore. Of course she had already heard this speech from Dumbledore, only he did not go into as much detail about the attacks with her as he did with Malfoy. Although it seemed he was trying to make Malfoy see the importance of all of this. He needn't have tried, she could tell by the look on Malfoy's face that he could comprehend what he was being told.

_Such a different look to this morning._ Gone was his trademark smirk, or the flash of malice in his steely grey eyes and she had to say, it was quite disconcerting. He was usually so sure of himself. Even facing the hippogriff, he didn't show the same fear that he was giving Dumbledore now. She glanced quickly at Snape, who also flicked his gaze between Dumbledore and Draco, apparently ignoring her. Or so she thought. After noticing the small, but obviously concerned look on his face when he looked at Malfoy, she realised he was only looking out for the safety of his fellow house member.

When Malfoy had said that he hadn't wanted to become a death eater, Hermione was quite taken aback by this statement, and even more so when she realised how long he had been feeling this. _Malfoy doesn't want to be a death eater?_ She almost snorted in disbelief, then realised that it wouldn't be at all appropriate in the situation.

When Dumbledore requested that Malfoy listen to what was proposed, she looked at him again. To her shock, he looked back towards her and flashed an angry look as if to say, _why do you have to be here to listen to this?_ She couldn't blame him. She wouldn't want to be in his position with one of his worst enemies listening in about his life being in danger. Hermione could feel nothing but pity for Malfoy. He was so unlike himself that she was worried about what he might do.

"Draco," Dumbledore interrupted her thoughts.

Malfoy looked back at Dumbledore, maintaining his angry visage.

"I know that you would not wish to do what I am about to propose to you under normal circumstances. However, I'm afraid that there is very little choice."

"And what's that?" he asked Dumbledore, face determinedly strong but voice quavering.

"It is too risky for you to stay in our World over summer, Draco. That is why you will not be returning home during that time. Instead, you will be staying with Miss Granger and her family."

Malfoy sat stock still for a long time, looking as if he had not heard right. He slowly turned to look at Snape in utter disbelief, but his Head of House only looked back in concern, nodding in confirmation. He then jerked his head back to Dumbledore with such a look of malevolence and fear that Hermione actually shrank back in her chair. He stood up quickly and whipped one hand up through his platinum blonde hair, and whipped it out just as fast, threatening to pull out a large clump at the same time.

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MY ONLY OPTION???!!!" he screamed.

"Mr Malfoy, calm down!" Snape ordered.

"Let him go, Severus. It's alright," Dumbledore said quietly.

"I CANNOT ACCEPT THAT THIS IS ALL THERE IS!! YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION!! THERE HAS TO BE SOME OTHER WAY TO DO THIS, BUT NOT THIS WAY!!!" Malfoy looked like he was about to have a breakdown, but through it all, Hermione could tell he was using every ounce of strength to stop himself from crying.

"Please, Draco. I know you are not happy with this arrangement – "

"NOT HAPPY??!! HOW CAN YOU EVEN _THINK_ THAT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M FEELING??!! HOW DO YOU EXPECT _ME_ TO SUDDENLY RUN AWAY WITH THE FUCKING MUGGLES??!!"

If at any other time Malfoy swore in front of Dumbledore it would have earned him a month's worth of detention with Filch. However Dumbledore ignored this blatant loss of self-control, and sighed. To Hermione he looked worn, but not defeated. It was obvious he had seen a lot of this sort of thing before. The last time it had occurred was only a year ago almost to the day, when Harry had blown up after the debacle in the Ministry of Magic.

He sighed deeply, and said in a voice that wasn't loud, but firm, "Draco, it is either this or become a death eater."

Malfoy looked at Dumbledore, clearly shaken by this fact. He looked as if he was going to scream back at Dumbledore, but Dumbledore's last argument subdued him enough to stop him from doing so.

Remembering witnessing Harry upset on more than one occasion last year, Hermione could now see a little as to why he would feel like that, having just observed Malfoy doing exactly the same thing. This upset her greatly. She remembered how worried she had felt during those times, and realised she was as worried now. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to be in Malfoy's position.

Dumbledore interrupted her thoughts. "Now you can see why this is your only other option, Draco. You would be found in the Wizarding world very quickly and with little effort. The Outside World is the only other option."

Malfoy looked like he was trying to restrain himself from saying something spiteful, and in the process was using most of his strength. Slowly, he said with much effort, "Please let me think about this. I don't know what to say at the moment."

"By all means, I wouldn't want you to have to give an answer right away. I'm also aware that this must be rather hard for you to take, so I allowing you to be excused from the upcoming exams, unless you feel that you are capable of completing them." Malfoy shook his head, forgetting his Slytherin pride in all the emotion, and showed a small sign of gratitude. Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Professor, would you be able to lead Mr Malfoy back to his rooms and ensure that he has privacy?" Snape gave a curt nod. "And Draco, if you wish I will get one of the house elves to bring you something to eat later."

"Thank you Headmaster," Malfoy managed to say as Snape put one hand on his shoulder and escorted him out of the room.

Dumbledore turned to Hermione and continued. "Miss Granger, I suggest that you don't say anything about what is going on to anyone. I will tell Messrs Potter and Weasley about Mr Malfoy staying with you over summer, however I ask that until I speak with them, to not say a word. Seeing as it is a matter not directly involving either student, I would rather not tell them at all. Nevertheless, I believe that their past records have shown that they are capable of trust, and I will stress that importance upon them. Until then, please Miss Granger, do not give out any information regarding this talk tonight."

Hermione looked into Dumbledore's usually twinkling eyes but could see nothing of the sort. Instead, all she could see was all of his 130 years in them. "Yes Headmaster."

"Good. Then I suggest you either make your way down to dinner or if you want as well I can send a house elf up for you."

"Thank you sir, that would be good." And with that, Hermione nodded goodnight to Dumbledore and exited his office.

* * *

**Comments:**

This is a fairly short chapter, but it wouldn't have sounded right with what else I was saying. This story will be long anyway, so some unnecessary detailing will only drag it out. Don't worry, you'll get to hear Draco's side of this soon enough, he starts the next Chapter.

Just to mention, this is my first real fanfic that I've written, so on one hand please be nice, but on the other, any criticism is constructive.

By the way, this could be the last Chapter I post for a little bit, cos so far I have only written 6 chapters and as I mentioned before I have my end of year exams very soon. But I will come back to it, it's been enjoyable to write so far.


	4. Early Warning

**I apologise for the mix-up for chapters 2 and 3, I honestly don't know why that happened because I thought I uploaded them correctly. Websites and I do not mix too well, even if new technology doesn't faze me in the least.**

**Again, I don't own anything.**

**To my reviewers, I can't say anything but WOW! I had only uploaded this story last night and did not expect to get reviews instantly. I'm glad you like it so far (with the exception of the chapter stuff-up).**

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**Wilwarin Breila:** Thanks for my first review. I'm fully aware of the comma problem cos every time I re-read each chapter that was the major problem that jumped out at me. I've never been brilliant at English grammar (Year 12 English proved that), but I don't have a "beta" at the moment. I'm glad it's fairly true to the book. Me personally I'd prefer true-to-form fanfics than completely OOC.

To my other reviewers, thank you for your kind words. It truly makes it worthwhile.

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**Chapter 4: Early Warning**

The following week was passed mostly in the library for Draco. After what Dumbledore had told him, he couldn't summon the strength to face anyone. What made it worse was the knowledge that many of whom he suspected to be weak-minded ended up as death eaters after the Christmas holidays, which didn't surprise Draco in the least. As far as he knew, he was the only child of a death eater who didn't want to end up down the same path. Instead of making him feel better about being strong-minded, it only made him feel worse. Of course he was proud that he had said no, but he felt he could no longer interact with the same group of students knowing that the path of fate which they had taken was different to his own.

He'd gone to see Dumbledore about his decision on Sunday, since he was so exhausted Friday night to be able to let anything sink in. He'd spent all day Saturday in the far corner of the library to allow him some privacy for thought. He remembered everything that Dumbledore had told him. He also thought about his father sitting in a cell in Azkaban and his own talk to his mother. He could have gone to Dumbledore that night that he was prepared to spend summer with the Grangers, but had felt he needed an extra day to swallow his pride to tell Dumbledore that he actually agreed with him. He simply could not see any other way around it either. He'd also received an owl from his mother the day after the meeting telling him that she agreed with Dumbledore in the matter, which made Draco feel a bit better. She also reminded him that they were doing him a favour despite his opinion on the topic, and asked that he remain civil towards the Grangers.

The only time he'd faced his fellow Slytherins was at meal times. This wasn't as bad as first perceived since most of them had been too hungry from study to speak. However when Thursday night arrived, it seemed one of his fellow Slytherins had to know what was bothering him. Pansy had called things off with Goyle and decided Draco needed her again after seeing how dejected he'd been this last week.

_Bloody Parkinson, piss off will you? I don't need your slutty little self draped all over me._

"Draco, tell me what's wrong will you? You don't seem yourself lately. You've even avoided insulting the Gryffindors. Really, I can help you," Pansy said in an over-concerned voice, trying desperately to get his attention.

Without looking at her Draco said, "Pansy leave me alone, will you?"

She persisted. "Oh but Draco, you can tell me!"

He spun around and looked down on her. "I don't do sloppy seconds, Parkinson! I know where you've been and furthermore I know where Goyle has been too. With that piece of information, any piece of you that touches me will honestly make me vomit!"

Pansy was speechless, and stepped away from him. She was clearly upset and looked like she was about to cry but only said, "Fine then Draco!" and exited rather quickly from the Great Hall. A muffled howl could be heard outside the door soon afterwards, then it gradually faded.

It was only then that Draco realised that those that were still in the Great Hall had all stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle. He scowled to everyone and stormed out of the Hall. On his way out, he stole a quick glance at the Gryffindor table to see who had enjoyed the scene at his expense. Potter and the Weasal were laughing, but to his mild surprise Hermione was not joining them. She only looked at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

Friday night he didn't bother going to dinner. Exams were finished and they would be leaving the following morning. He couldn't face anyone at all, and certainly didn't want to have to answer any questions from the other Slytherins asking what he'd be doing over summer, expecting they knew the answer. He knew exactly what they'd be doing; getting their hands dirty in some Muggle killings no doubt. He realised that this thought sickened him and so tried with moderate success to clear the thought from his mind. He went down to the kitchen while everyone was in the Great Hall and pestered one of the house elves for some soup and bread.

He tried to go to sleep early but was interrupted when Crabbe and Goyle came into the dorms expecting he'd be awake. Next thing he knew was the curtains around his four-poster bed being ripped open and he could hear the two over-grown hippopotami talking.

"Oy, Malfoy, you going to bed already?" Goyle question him suspiciously.

Irritably, Draco rolled over to face them. "What does it look like Goyle?!" he replied sarcastically. "Hardly going to take my broom out for a flight now, am I?"

Goyle looked a bit gob-smacked and was about to say something when Crabbe said, "You know what's been planned over summer don't you?"

Draco didn't, but had a sneaking suspicion he didn't want to know. "No, what's that?" he asked.

"The Dark Lord wants to make an attack on one of the Ministry officials, believing that that will make his demands met. He's ordered that all recruited death eaters be present for when it happens. Seriously Malfoy? I thought you knew this!"

Luckily the room was dark, otherwise the others would see the look of shock on Malfoy's face. "Oh yeah, I did know that. Yeah I'll be there as well, can't wait really," he lied. "But look, I haven't had much sleep so leave me alone will you?!"

Crabbe and Goyle muttered half-arsed apologies, and retired to their own beds. Draco shut the curtains again and tried to get back to sleep, but after what Crabbe had said he found that he struggled.

_What do I do? Do I tell anyone I know this or will that threaten my safety more?_

Eventually, he managed to get to sleep but had so many thoughts going around his head that it made it quite difficult to not have nightmares.

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Ok, this is the last one I post for a bit. It wouldn't have been put up but I had to say something for all the reviews because truly I wasn't expecting any at all. Hopefully I upload it CORRECTLY this time, so it isn't so bloody difficult to follow. 

"...sloppy seconds..." - I'm sorry, it's a bit crass but anyone familiar with the British comedy The Office? I love that show! I had to include this line in it somewhere because it's just about the funniest thing that Gareth says in the series. This is my only direct quote from anything before I get any complaints! Think of it as a tribute to one of the best comedies ever.

PS. I am a true-blue Aussie. If I accidentally throw in some Aussie slang or quote and you don't understand it please tell me. I am trying to speak as proper English as I can but having grown up in country Victoria (a state of Australia where the only language is Australian and not English) it makes it quite difficult.


	5. Meeting the Grangers

**Again, I own nothing.**

In response to your questions and comments:

**Arie Semir:** I like how Draco is not evil but still an arrogant prick too. As I said before, I'm trying really hard to keep him in character. Cannot explain why Narcissa supported Draco's decision, is somewhat important to the plot so cannot say any more than that. I thought I'd left one line in the explanation, but must have deleted it, which I was a bit annoyed about. Would have explained things a bit easier. I think I have put that explanation in later on tho but if not, it'll become apparent later.

**sugar n spice 522:** yep, pity is a rather strong feeling. But hopefully this chapter will explain why Hermione didn't complain since she did already knew why Draco was in danger. I'm assuming that Dumbledore told her that she won't feel so upset about it when he tells Draco - Hermione does have a heart after all.

**midnite12:** i'm glad you like it so far but unfortunately we have seen the last of Miss Parkinson unless she makes an appearance in Diagon Alley when they get their school books. Although I doubt that it will happen.

**Puzzlette:** I had actually started out writing this story when Draco gets summoned to Dumbledore's office, but felt it was too soon to introduce the main plot and so it needed a bit of an intro. Hermione also needed to be inroduced somewhere and hence Ron and Harry (they make their second appearance in this chapter). I wrote the revelation part and then went back to write the introduction.

Finally to everyone else who reviewed this story, I cannot tell you all how stoked (Aussie slang for ecstatic or very pleased) I am to receive them all. It really makes it all worth writing.

On we go!

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**Chapter 5: Meeting the Grangers**

_Finally going home,_ Hermione thought first thing next morning.

But she was not looking forward to it. She wasn't sure how she was going to cope with Malfoy for two whole months, and felt quite sure that he would feel the same. She still felt some pity for him knowing that he knew nothing of Muggle life let alone how to live in it, on top of why he would be living there in the first place. Still, she was sure that he would try to make things difficult despite being under their roof. She had had a restless sleep thinking about the next day, and as a consequence slept in a bit later than she would have liked.

She quickly got herself ready and went out into the common room. Surprisingly, Harry and Ron were already waiting for her on one of the large couches in front of the fireplace.

"Wow, you guys are early, what's the rush?" she asked.

"Hermione, it's 8:30. _You're_ usually up at 7, even on Sundays. So we should be asking _you_ why you slept in," Ron stated.

"Yeah I know but you two aren't usually up until 9 even on the final day," she retorted.

"Yeah, that's because we wanted to see how you were, you know, with Malfoy staying with you over summer," assured Harry.

As much as she was glad for the bout of sympathy, she thought if they knew the whole story even _they_ may not have felt so bad about Malfoy staying with her. She knew Dumbledore had informed them of the arrangement but he didn't go into great details over why Malfoy was in danger. He'd simply said to take his word for it and asked them not to pester Malfoy over it, and threatened them with expulsion if they disobeyed.

Hermione gave them a small smile. "Look Harry, I'm not happy about it, but unfortunately Dumbledore feels that that is his only option. We've all known in the past that Dumbledore has rarely put a foot wrong in his decisions, and I've realised that he's not wrong about this. There is no other way. And as much as Malfoy makes me want to scream I don't wish death upon him knowing I could have prevented it."

"I guess, but look, if he gives you any grief or keeps calling you 'mudblood', then owl either me or Ron and we'll do something about it," Harry said.

"Thanks Harry, I'll remember that. Now, we'd better get down to breakfast soon otherwise we won't have time to eat anything."

They left the common room and headed down to breakfast. The whole way down Hermione was thinking about what Harry said. _"If he... keeps calling you mudblood..."_ That was the thing. She remembered Malfoy's outburst in Dumbledore's office a week ago. She didn't notice at the time because she was so scared and worried, but considering he had lost control of his emotions he had refrained from using his usual name for her. _Since when did Malfoy stop calling me mudblood?_

**&&&&&&&&&&**

The morning passed incredibly quickly for Draco. Even though he had got up quite early due to a restless night's sleep, he found the morning simply didn't exist. He'd gone for a walk after breakfast to clear his mind, and went and sat down at the seats overlooking the lake. He watched the giant squid meander around just below the surface and emerge half a dozen times. When Draco looked at his watch after seemingly only half an hour, he realised it was 10:40. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving from Hogsmeade station in 20 minutes. He raced back to the castle and grabbed his bag then started to make his way down to the station.

He could see Hermione just a little ahead of him, walking with Potter and Weasley.

_No doubt they know what's happening over summer. Damn Potter, I bet he's happy to know my life's under threat and not his for once._

He thought that perhaps he should try to arrange with Hermione to meet somewhere at Kings Cross station after the train pulled in. He _really_ didn't want to approach the Three, but thought that if he didn't then he would be left at Kings Cross with no knowledge of where he was or how to get anywhere. Especially since there was virtually a death warrant on his head by any number of death eaters. He scowled and started to walk a bit faster.

He had made up about half the distance when he saw Hermione say something to the others and abruptly turn around. He stopped short, caught out in surprise, then realised she was walking straight towards him.

When she reached him, she simply said quietly, "Look Malfoy, I'm no happier about this arrangement than what you are. However, it is going to happen regardless of what we personally think. Anyway, if you get off the train before I do, meet me under the Platform 9¾ sign at Kings Cross, okay?"

He quickly hid his surprise with a scowl and mumbled, "Fine. Just remember, this doesn't change my opinion of you, Granger."

She looked to say something, but instead just glared and turned back to catch up to the others. Draco on the other hand, took as long as he could to reach the station. The only problem was that he wanted to be alone, and getting onto the train later made it virtually impossible to find an empty compartment. Finally he had to be content to gate crash on a pair of Hufflepuff Seconds, who both gave a scared whimper and went to make for the door upon seeing him.

"Oh for Christ's sake, I'm not going to do anything!" he responded angrily.

They averted his look for a little bit, then quietly went back to their game of Wizard Chess.

The compartment was quiet for the entire trip with the exception of the occasional sound of armour clanging from the chess pieces, and small giggles from the two second-years (no doubt not wanting to disturb the agitated sixth year Slytherin). Every once in a while Crabbe and Goyle would come and see why he wasn't joining them, but after some very curt words in return on the third visit they finally left him alone. It gave Draco a chance to compose himself and think properly about what was to come. Finally, he grew tired and fell into the slumber that he had missed during the night.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

At last the train arrived at Kings Cross.

_Well,_ Hermione thought, _Judgement Day has finally come. _She alighted from the train with the trolley containing her suitcases and Crookshanks' carrier. She waited for Harry and Ron who had been caught in the mad dash of students to get off the train. They started to make their way back along the platform, when she caught sight of a platinum blond head standing underneath the Platform 9¾ sign, just as she had asked him to.

_At least he waited, that's a start._

"Hey you two," she said to the others. "I told Malfoy I'd meet him under the sign, and he's there, so I'm going to have to leave you. Don't worry about me, alright?"

"I know we shouldn't, but he's Malfoy, we don't know what he'll do," Ron protested.

Hermione sighed. She hadn't told them about what he'd said to her before they got on the train back at Hogwarts, because she knew that they would crack it. She had been a bit angry herself, but stopped herself from saying anything after seeing the worry in Malfoy's eyes despite the scowl on his face.

"I know he can be a real git, but please, I won't be alone with him. My parents will be there too, so between the three of us we should be okay."

"Alright, but don't forget to owl us if there's any problems at all," Harry instructed.

"I will. Have a good summer!" and with that, she left her two worried-looking friends to join Malfoy.

As she approached him, she frowned. His pale face was contorted into a smirk as if to say, _I'm better than this_, but his steely blue eyes gave away his state of emotion. If anything, they looked even paler than usual. She decided to leave any comments to herself and instructed him to follow her through the barrier.

On the other side, her parents were waiting at their usual spot half way along Platform 10. Upon seeing Hermione and the pale-looking boy grudgingly walking behind her, they stood up to greet them.

"Hermione darling!" her mother exclaimed with a big hug. "I'm so glad you're back!"

Hermione pulled back, looking slightly sheepish. _God, what will Malfoy think of this?_ "I'm glad to be back too, Mum," she managed to say.

"Hello Hermione," her father smiled down at her, and then also gave her a hug. When he let go, she quickly glanced at Malfoy to see what he made of the whole situation. She was greeted with a great look of confusion that had replaced his scowl.

Her father turned cautiously to Malfoy. "You must be Draco Malfoy," he smiled as he offered his hand.

Malfoy shook it reluctantly. "Yes Sir."

"Please, call us Robert and Jane. We have never really been into strict formalities. Allow me," Robert Granger took Malfoy's trolley for him. "Ah, I see you have an owl. Lovely creatures if I must say." He acknowledged the grey screech owl and indicated for them all to walk back to the car.

"We've obviously been informed of your situation, and are more than happy to help out Headmaster Dumbledore in this way. We know that all of this," he gestured to everything around them in the Muggle world, "must be very strange for you and we can sympathise with you wholeheartedly. It's an odd feeling to suddenly know that there is a parallel world right next to your own."

He paused briefly, obviously letting Malfoy think about all of this, then continued. "It was strange for us to have received Hermione's admission letter to Hogwarts. At first we thought that it was some kind of joke that someone had played on us. I mean witchcraft, the only forms of it I'd ever heard of are those so-called psychics and practicing witches you hear of floating around the country. But an actual school of witchcraft! We were quite sceptical at the start but then Dumbledore came to talk to us. It seems that he has a way with words. He explained everything about the school and how Hermione had the potential to be a very capable witch with the right training. We thought that we would give her a year, to see if she liked it. Lo and behold, she's still there after all these years."

By this stage they'd reached the car, and Robert packed the boot up with their things, and opened the door for Malfoy to get into the back seat next to Hermione. But Draco didn't move. Hermione saw scepticism written all over Malfoy's face as he looked at the car, then to Robert, and back to the car.

"I'm not going to bite you know," she said bossily, misreading his look.

He hopped in beside her, giving her an annoyed look.

"Hermione, show Draco what to do with the seat belt, can you?" Robert asked her.

"Alright. First you pull the strap out of the holster and wrap it across your body, like so," she demonstrated on herself. "Then you plug it into this keeper here. Make sure it clicks firmly in place. Now you do it," she instructed.

Draco gave her a scowl, but nevertheless followed her instructions and put his seat belt on.

"Good, we all set?" Robert asked. "Okay, back home we go."

They had travelled about 10 minutes when Robert started up where he'd left off before they got in the car.

"Yes, we're still very new to the whole idea of witchcraft, but slowly with Hermione's explanations of it all, we are gradually learning new things. We've even discovered that it does have its uses; of course neither Jane nor I can do it. We also realise that it has some advantages over things done in our world. Anyway, what I'm trying to say here Draco is that we know what it's like to suddenly realise there's another world out there. Of course we weren't thrown in the deep end like you have been, but remember this. If you have _any_ concerns about anything, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, please do not hesitate to ask one of us. You got that?"

Malfoy said nothing. Hermione, who had been staring out the window half-listening to her father, quickly turned to glare at him for not responding but realised upon looking at him that his usual pale skin appeared quite green.

"Um, Dad," she said hesitantly whilst looking at Malfoy. "I think Malfoy wants you to pull over. Urgently if possible."

"Uh, right. Okay then."

They quickly found a suitable area to pull over and Malfoy, struggling with his seat belt and the door, only just made it out of the car before his breakfast and lunch came up. Hermione had never seen Malfoy out of his league before. He usually strutted about the castle with his rotten smirk plastered on his face and the two buffoons hanging off him that to see him throwing up due to a simple car ride was thoroughly entertaining.

She could no longer contain herself and she started laughing.

When Malfoy finally finished and got back into the car, he looked at her with contempt and remarked, "Don't forget you just about wet yourself the first time you got on a broom!"

_Bastard._ She'd hoped he wouldn't bring that up.

Hermione quickly shut up and continued staring out the window. She thought she'd seen a small grin pass across her mother's face just before she turned away from him out of the corner of her eye, but then again perhaps she was imagining things. They travelled along in relative silence for the rest of the trip. Every now and then, she would glance at Malfoy, but found herself looking at the back of his head every time.

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**Comments:**

"Judgement Day" - I don't think I need to explain this but for those who don't know this direct reference I thought I should explain. Taken from the "Terminator" films, meaning the end of the world as we know it. This is more of a quote that I personally would use when describing the arrival of something that I have been dreading. In Hermione's case, it's the knowledge of having to spend more than the length of a double in Malfoy's presence, especially since there is no Harry and Ron. And since the film came out in '91, Hermione would be more than familiar with it, being of Muggle origin.

Could be a while before I post, I know I keep saying that but I have an exam tomorrow and a few others this week.

See ya's! And a big thank you must be said also.


	6. Arrivée chez Granger

**I don't own anything, JK Rowling does. Pity that.**

**  
XXXXXXXXXX - WARNING! - ATTENTION! - ACHTUNG! - XXXXXXXXXX  
The next chapter (i.e. 7, not 6) contains depictions of real-life events that may disturb some readers. I am warning you now that I think I may have to up the rating from PG-13 to R. I will confirm this with my 'beta' (thank you Puzzlette, your comments were well-received for Chapter 6! :-) ) but until then I will warn you that when I get up to uploading Chapter 7 bear in mind this warning. I will put a warning at the top of Chapter 7 as well anyway. I'm saying this now because I do not want to disturb some people's sleep nor receive death threats after having done so.**

**Thank you for taking notice of this warning.  
Now for comments.**

Lots of them, hope it doesn't put people off. I always try to answer questions because I feel it helps the reader(s) to understand the story better.

**EosRaven:** Yes there are other Muggle-borns at Hogwarts. The reason why I chose Draco stay at Hermione's, the simple reason that I wanted to write a Draco/Hermione story and thought this was a decent idea. :-) I could bullshit my answer going into a whole big thing but really this was the first answer. I had in the back of my mind tho that Hermione's house would be much less suspicious to Voldemort because wasn't Lucius so against Hermione in COS when she kept beating Draco at school? So why would Voldemort suspect one of his inner-circle followers' sons to stay with her?

**gboyary:** I had to laugh when I read your explanation of the real Judgement Day (I didn't even know it existed in biblical times) but I've never claimed to be religious in any way. It was true that I did get the expression from Terminator, and the reason for it was exactly the reason for which I gave. Ah well, that's what reviews are for, true???

**harryluvzginny:** Yes Crabbe and Goyle's parents were death eaters too. In chapter 2 when Dumbledore explains that he wrote to all death eater families saying what he thought might happen, Crabbe and Goyle's lot (along with most other supporters of Voldemort) wrote back telling Dumbledore to mind his own business. This piece of info was going to go into the story but didn't seem to sound right so I left it out.

**sophiethedevil:** It shouldn't be depressing but it will have its fair share of dramas. JK Rowling herself said that she wished she didn't have to write a certain part of OOTP but claimed it was crutial to the storyline. It's the same principle here.

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**Chapter 6: Arrivée chez Granger**

At last the car started to slow right down (much to the relief of Draco) and finally pulled up to a small iron gate situated in the middle of a low but neat stone wall. Robert reached into the centre console and pulled out what appeared to be a thick wand (_but it couldn't be, it wasn't made out of wood_) and pointed it to the gate. Magically, the gate opened. But how could that be? The man said he couldn't perform any magic. Draco wondered at this for a moment, before thinking he must be going mad.

They entered into the grounds and the gate magically closed behind them. _Again, how did it do that?_ The driveway seemed to meander around a little way before winding under the carport in front of the house. Draco couldn't tell very much about his surroundings, but realised upon seeing the house that perhaps Granger wasn't as poor as he'd previously thought. After all, she was friends with the Weasel. But the house he'd seen as they approached was much larger than the one he'd pictured before arriving here.

The house was a two-storey mansion with an 1800's feel to it, relatively new by British standards. It was nothing like the 14th century manor in which Draco had grown up in, but it still reflected the well-being of the owners. It was a large square shape but still grand, and completely white. There was a door above the carport on the top storey that provided access to the roof of the carport, which was perhaps an entertaining area. Steps under the carport led up to white double doors that were the main entrance. There were two large ceramic pots on either side of the doors containing two climbing roses, one pink and the other blue. _Blue roses? I've never seen such a thing._

Draco didn't get to see much else of his surroundings because it was quite dark and he guessed it must have been getting late. When they stopped, he managed to get his seat belt off – without trouble this time – and got out of the car. Granger, he noticed, quickly got out of the car without giving him a sidewards glance, then retrieved her bags and went inside.

"Draco, let me grab your bags and Jane will escort you inside," Robert said.

_Where's the servant?_

"Well Draco," Jane motioned for him to follow. "This is your home for the next two months. I hope you will come to enjoy being here, as I hope we will enjoy your presence." Jane ignored the look of annoyance on his face as he took in the house.

_Sharing a house with Granger. I highly doubt I will enjoy this._

Despite his outward appearance he found he could not respond. Everything that had happened started to finally take its toll on him. On top of that, the bloody car ride certainly did not help matters at all. He would have gladly ridden in the Knight Bus with a blindfolded driver than ride in anything like that again. The minute the car started moving he'd felt nauseous, and was surprised he'd lasted as long as he had. Granger had shown him how to put the restricting strap across his chest, but she neglected to tell him how to take it off, let alone how to exit the car. He'd had to figure out both for himself. At least the rest of the trip had passed relatively easier.

But now he was in a new world with new rules to follow. No wand use whatsoever was allowed, not that he would have been able to anyway chez Malfoy, but this was different. He unwillingly walked up the steps to the front door.

Jane opened the door for Draco and followed him in. He gave a small gasp at what he saw. If he thought the house looked grand on the outside, it was incomparable to what it was like on the inside. They had entered into what was obviously the entrance hall, a smallish room with a crystal chandelier hanging from the roof. It contained no furniture, save for a small antique chair located in the corner and a painting of what was obviously the house and surroundings on the opposite wall. Another ceramic pot was located just inside the door in the right hand corner of the room, containing a large fern. Draco had no time to take anything else in because Hermione had appeared from her room and come back down the stairs, but all in all, the house had a wealthy yet homely feel to it.

"I'm sorry Draco, but I just ask that you take your shoes off inside. The carpet is a nuisance to try and clean (_you mean to tell me that _you_ do the cleaning?_) when there is dirt trampled all through it. Hermione, could you please show Draco where he will be staying?" Jane asked.

"Yes, okay." Granger responded. She waited for him to take his shoes off and place them beside the doorway, then led him from the Entrance Hall through a door on the left and up the stairs.

"Malfoy, you'll be sleeping in the guestroom," she told him.

"Great," Draco responded indifferently.

She sighed quietly, then responded in an equally uninterested tone. "Although I highly doubt it will be what _you're_ used to."

This was true, but in truth he had thought that the house was rather pleasant. Anyone who had money seemed to go down okay with him. Not that he'd care to share that thought with anyone.

"Christ, we share the same opinion, Granger," he retorted, despite his mind thinking differently. "Seeing as bloody Dumbledore insisted on me staying here it looks like I don't have a choice, do I?!"

"Don't say that about Dumbledore!" Granger snapped. "Considering he's doing his best to look after you, you should be more grateful!"

Draco suddenly stopped half way up the stairs, realising she had a point but resolving not to tell her that. She turned around to see why he'd stopped.

He narrowed his eyes and ran his hands through his nearly-white hair. "If I remember correctly, _you_ provoked _me_, Granger. If you hadn't have said your little snide remark about the house I might have kept my mouth shut."

She gaped at him, looking as if she didn't know exactly what to say. Instead, she simply said, "Anyway, your room is this way."

They continued up the stairs and along the landing.

"The bathroom is on the left just here," she quietly said and pointed where she was talking about. "I'd give you the full tour of the house but I'd better show you your room first."

Granger opened the door and pushed a button just inside it. The room was suddenly bright, and lit up the room for Draco to see. It was about two-thirds the size of his room at home, but had more of a cosy feel to it. A fireplace was located in the middle of the left wall, and a mahogany framed Queen-sized bed adorned in (unfortunately for him) maroon and gold, was located on the opposite wall. It was much different from his bed at home and those at Hogwarts, in that it did not have the large four-poster frame surrounding it. It did make the room appear to be more spacious, though. Two bed-side tables also in mahogany accompanied the bed. Each of these tables held two weird looking things he only assumed to be perhaps reading lights, also in gold. The floor was carpeted in cream and the walls the same colour, much like what he'd seen of the rest of the house, and a large red and yellow floor rug laid at the foot of the bed. A large bay window was on the other side of the room with a view to the back garden, and there was a wooden table in front of the window with a glass vase containing a stalk of bamboo and other interesting grasses. Aside from the unfortunate choice of colours, he silently admitted that the room was not bad.

_But what was that thing that Granger had done to light the room? She certainly hadn't used a wand, that's right, she'd pressed a button._ He looked back at the wall to see the button. _Was this it?_ He wandered back to it.

Granger, who had been standing at the door, said as if it was the most obvious thing, "That's the light switch. You flick it one way to turn the light on, then flick it the other way to turn the light off (_Jesus she's bossy. I dunno how Scar Head and the Weasel put up with her!_). You also have the lamps beside the bed if you want to read. That way you can turn the room light off, then when you want to go to sleep, you turn the others off. They also work in the same way as the light, in that there is a switch on each of them. Anyway, I'll leave you to get settled."

She quickly left him and headed out of sight, perhaps back to her own room. Draco shut the door behind her then placed his suitcases on the window side of the bed and his eagle owl Castor's cage beside the fireplace, and opened it up. Castor looked at Draco for a second, and indicated the window. Draco gave a small smile to the bird, walked over to the window and opened it also. He watched the owl walk fly out into the night air to hunt. He then sat down on the bed for a moment and looked out at the night sky, listening to the crickets.

Out of the blue, he was suddenly aware of his surroundings. A thick blanket of panic settled over him and he abruptly fell back onto the bed and covered his face with his hands. Up until this point everything had seemed surreal, but only when he realised that he wasn't in his own room did everything finally click into place. His life was in complete danger. The Dark Lord wanted _him_. Would _not_ stop until he got him. Even Potter was not a direct target. While there were Muggles to torture, Potter was only a threat if he got in the way. This room didn't seem so cosy anymore. That was just it. He was sent out of his own world, the only world he had ever known, to live _here_, with strangers. Well, two strangers and one enemy.

Panic was something Draco was not accustomed to. He jolted up as quickly as he had lay back on the bed, but kept his hands over his face. The unfamiliar feeling surged through his body, and he soon felt the sting of tears in his throat and in his eyes. He tried with all his strength to hold these back. _What are you doing? Malfoys don't cry!_ He had managed to refrain from crying in Dumbledore's office, he didn't know how, but he had. Perhaps it was his Slytherin pride preventing the dilemma in front of his Head of House and two Gryffindors. Here, he could not help it. The tears started to roll down his face in an uncontrollable manner, and soon he was sobbing pitifully into his hands. He cried for the circumstances in which he was placed in now and for all the times he had wanted to but had been told not to by his father. But above all else, he cried for his mother for caring enough about him to go to such lengths for his well-being.

He must have been like that for about half an hour when he heard a knock at the door. _Shit,_ he thought whilst wiping at his face with his sleeve, _I hope they couldn't hear anything._

"Malfoy?" the voice called, although he knew whom it belonged to.

He couldn't answer, not yet. He couldn't trust his voice to not give away what he had just been doing.

The door knocked again. "Malfoy? I'm just letting you know that dinner is ready and that if you want to come down you can." The voice sounded slightly concerned. "Or if you prefer, I can bring you up some."

_Bloody hell, she must have heard_._ I don't need _her_ pity!_

He found the strength to answer tersely. "I'll be down in a minute."

There was no reply but the sound of muffled footsteps, which gradually faded.

He wiped away at the rest of the tears on his face and dragged himself out of the room. He stopped off at the bathroom to give his face a wash, since he knew there were tear tracks down his face, and dried it off with the clean green towels which seemed to have been left out for him.

He went downstairs and after a couple of wrong turns that led him into the laundry and the study, eventually found the dining room.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Hermione had wondered whether Malfoy would ever show up for dinner, even though it was late and he would have no doubt been starving. He had not made an appearance, and she had wondered whether or not it would be best to go up and see him. Not that she had really wanted to, nor had she thought that he would have even let her into his room, now that he was settled. Still, she had felt some duty to go up to him.

The sound of muffled sobs had completely thrown her. That was not what she had been expecting at all. In response to this she had said that if he wanted she would bring up dinner instead, but it only caused him to take the defensive and curtly respond he would be making an appearance at the table. She knew he wouldn't want her to feel sorry for him, which was why she had tried to show complete disinterest in him. Unfortunately, after having seen his response that day in Dumbledore's office, as much as she didn't want to, she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. Having been friends with Harry for so long and having witnessed him battle with his demons, she was only too aware of what Malfoy must be feeling.

When Hermione saw Malfoy appear briefly through the dining room door, she wasn't sure whether or not she was glad or upset. While she did feel a bit sorry for him, at the end of the day he was still Malfoy and no doubt would not refrain from being rude to her.

Instead he said nothing but only looked somewhat fatigued and even a bit frustrated.

_Perhaps he got lost, I didn't actually show him where anything was._

As he sat down at the large oak dining table, Hermione stole another quick look at him to see that his apparent fatigued look was accompanied with rather bloodshot eyes. He appeared to have wanted to stay in his room, but made the effort to come downstairs. Whether this was a pride thing to show he wasn't affected by such things or simply because he felt he should, Hermione didn't know. Robert and Jane said nothing but smiled warmly at him as he sat. He didn't return the smile but nodded curtly at them in return.

They continued eating in relative silence. Only Crookshanks made any sound, as he kept meowing at Hermione.

"But I've already fed you," she protested. "You can't be still hungry, surely."

But Crookshanks then moved around the table to Malfoy. She could tell Crookshanks was there because Malfoy looked a little surprised, then quickly scorned down at something under the table. Hermione also looked under the table, and saw that despite Malfoy's best efforts, the cat showed no signs of being scared of him. Instead, he gave a loud meow and came trotting back to Hermione.

_He obviously wanted me to introduce him._

"That's Crookshanks," she informed Malfoy. "You may or may not have seen him around the castle."

Malfoy looked at her and muttered, "I don't usually go near cats. Too vain for my liking."

Hermione covered up a snort with a cough and went back to her meal.

Eventually, they all finished eating, as was the custom in the Granger household to wait for everyone to finish before leaving the table. It appeared that Malfoy was not in any mood for talking after dinner, and before anyone could say anything to him, he promptly said, "I feel really tired, so I'm going to go to bed."

"That's alright, Draco," Robert said. "I think we have all had a bit more of a tiring day than usual."

He looked uncomfortable, but still managed a short "Goodnight" before dragging himself off to his room.

Jane turned to Hermione. "You seem about as happy about this arrangement as Draco, Hermione." Hermione nodded in contempt. "I know this must be difficult for you to handle, which I gathered from your unease at talking about him, or to him for that matter, but please remember that it is no easier for him to be here. Also bear in mind that whatever life he has led in the past, it seems that he had no choice in the matter, so please try to be understanding. If it's any consolation, that's the attitude we've adopted for ourselves because I don't think it will be easy for us either."

Hermione looked at her mother with unease. "It's just that I can't forget what he's done to us in the past, Mum. He really has said some awful things to all three of us, especially Harry. I will try to be civil to him and I hope that he will be the same in return, although I know it will irritate him enormously to. I guess he really is out of his element here, and it doesn't help that we aren't allowed to do magic over summer, so I suppose he is just going to have to cope with it."

"That's a good girl. And try to help him out if he's in trouble as well, the first few weeks will be extremely difficult."

"I'll try, Mum." Hermione leant over to her mother and gave her a hug. "Now, do you need help cleaning up?"

"It's alright, your father and I will manage. You go and get an early night as well. I need to go into town tomorrow to do some shopping, did you want to come?"

"What's Mal – , um, Draco going to do if I go?"

"He can come if he wants to, but if that's what's stopping you then you don't have to. I'll ask him in the morning."

"Alright. Goodnight Mum."

"Goodnight, Hermione."

And with that, Hermione got up from the dining table and retired to her room.

_He really does need help in this world, otherwise he wouldn't have met me at King's Cross. Doesn't make things any better though._

She eventually fell asleep thinking about how she would survive the next two months explaining to Malfoy the goings-on in the Muggle world, without realising that he was in his own room wondering the same thing.

* * *

**Comments:**

Well, doesn't seem to be any comments this chapter. Any questions just ask and I'll be happy to answer them.

Woops, forgot the most important one (well considering 'tis the only comment of course it will be). The title is French for Arrival at the Granger's house.


	7. First Day

**XXXXXXXXXX - WARNING! - ATTENTION! - ACHTUNG! - XXXXXXXXXX  
Okay, this is the chapter with some rather heavy stuff.  
If you are under 18, I strongly advise that you take special note of this warning if you are going to read this chapter. This chapter contains some references to World War II, and in particular Adolf Hitler and his outcome. So please take care, I have warned you.**

**Now for comments.**

I'm so sorry for not acknowledging my other reviewers in the last chapter, there were a few things I forgot to mention, will get to those in a minute. But I thank all those reviewers who have given me their opinions of my story. I love reading them all and cannot tell you how much it helps to keep going with the story. And whenever I majorly slip up, please tell me, I won't get upset!

I did stuff up a couple of times in Chapter 5, one of which was cos I called Castor a screech owl, then changed it to eagle owl in Ch6 after consulting the HP-Lexicon. As well as calling Malfoy 'Draco' a couple of times. And the last chapter seemed to roll off the tongue better in French than in English. "arrivay shay gron-jay", for pronunciation's sake! :-)

**sugar n spice 522:** The bit about Crookshanks was put in late cos I forgot that he lives at the Grangers and needed a reference to him somewhere... ;-)

**harryluvzginny:** The house that Hermione lives in is not absolutely massive, but seeing as her parents are both dentists (quite high-paying jobs) I thought they needed a nice house and garden. I'm thinking those ones that are those large block houses but old style. Still hope it doesn't sound too OTT!

To everyone else, thank you so much for your reviews and I hope you enjoy the next chapter. It's rather long, so hopefully it doesn't drag out.

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**Chapter 7: First day**

Draco woke the next morning completely disorientated. He sat up in the maroon and gold-covered bed and looked around his room. It took him a full minute before comprehension started to work in his mind, but when it finally did everything came flooding back to him. He covered his face with his hands once more before launching into a verbal attack on everybody. He cursed everyone from Dumbledore to Snape and even his mother, then finally finished by cursing Castor who opened one eye and flew off in a huff to go and sleep somewhere else.

_Great, my only friend in this ridiculous world has deserted me._

Admitting defeat, he sighed and got up. He found some clothes that would pass for Muggle clothing and went to have a shower. _At least the pipes don't change in both worlds._

Draco let the warm water pass over him in a daze. He was only thinking of the previous day, in particular his first meeting with the Grangers and the fact that they actually _hugged_ Granger when they saw her. He was quite surprised at the affection they had shown her. Even his own mother didn't hug him in public; in fact she barely showed affection at all. But then again, they were always in the presence of his father, so he figured that must be the reason for it. Things would perhaps be different if they were by themselves. _Hmm, who knows when we will be together again...?_ He had to admit that it was strange to see people being so open with affection. He had been brought up to believe that affection in public was a sign of weakness. He had not seen any of his housemates showing affection for their relatives when he was visiting their houses, or vice-versa. It was all very formal until he'd seen it with the Grangers. After the initial shock he had actually felt slightly jealous over their apparent closeness.

After about ten minutes he got out, dried and changed into his clothes for the day. After doing his hair and having a shave he eventually went downstairs for breakfast.

When he entered the kitchen, he was not really prepared for what he saw. Muggle gadgets of all sorts seemed to line the walls and benchtops, all of which he had never seen before. The walls also had various pictures of crockery and tea-sets or fruit hung on them and the wooden table in the middle of the room looked more like a workbench than an eatery.

"Good morning, Draco," Jane smiled at him.

"Morning," he grunted back, still looking around the kitchen.

"Morning Malfoy." It was obvious Granger had been told to be civil, even if she didn't sound it.

"Morning."

"Did you sleep well?" asked Jane.

_What sort of question is that?_

"Oh, yeah I guess."

"That's good then. I was just telling Hermione that I needed to go into town to get some things. I was wondering whether you wanted to go for a ride?"

_Remember what Mother said about being polite to the Muggles. And I'm not getting in that bloody car for the rest of my life._

"No. I think I just need to have a quiet one for today."

"Suit yourself. Hermione, are you going to come?"

Granger looked at Jane. "I don't think I will, not today. Next weekend perhaps."

"Ok then. Well have a good day then, you two," and with that, Jane got up from the table and left the room.

"Mum made you some toast before you came down," Granger informed him.

"Oh. Where is it, then?" Draco asked.

"On the bench beside the kettle. Really Malfoy, I thought you had eyes. After all, you _are_ the Slytherin seeker."

_Did she just have a go at me?_

He scowled and found his toast.

"What about juice?"

"You get that yourself. Look in the fridge. Glasses are in the cupboard above the stove."

He could clearly see that she wasn't getting up from the table so it had to be him. He tried looking for the fridge but had no idea what the bloody thing looked like, which sort of left him between a rock and a hard place.

He must have looked lost because he heard Granger sigh and mutter, "The fridge is the big metal box on the other side of the room. The stove is the black bench-top on the left side of the room. That's what you cook food on, as you may have seen last night if you went into the kitchen."

"Right. Thanks for that explanation, Granger. If I had asked for one that is," he replied sarcastically.

"You clearly looked lost, I was only helping."

"I don't need your help!" he snapped.

Granger said nothing and shook her head. Draco glared back and sat down at the table opposite her.

She had managed to get the upper hand on him and had done it when he was clearly in an unknown position as well. If there was one thing that could eventually break a Slytherin, it was pity. And she had almost succeeded. Although after last night's efforts before dinner, keeping his full guard up from now on was going to be much harder.

Eventually, she got up and said, "If you want me to _explain_ anything, I'll be in my room." She disappeared out of the kitchen.

Draco finished his breakfast and left the dishes on the table. He knew someone would come by later and pick them up; they had all his life. He looked out the window and saw that it was a nice day, so conceded to go for a walk in the grounds.

He discovered soon that the grounds weren't half as large as those at Château de Malfoi, but peaceful all the same. He found a nice garden seat overlooking a pond and sat down. He could see the goldfish in the water swimming, and found it interesting to watch. He had ponds in his own gardens and looking at these ones took him back to the garden he knew so well.

For some reason he had always felt relaxed watching the goldfish swimming in their own little world with not a care in the world and away from danger. Well, until a random bird came along anyway. It was comforting to know that in this world of unknown rules there was something familiar to keep him grounded. He had a feeling he would be spending a lot of time out here in the future.

After a bit, he looked down at his watch. It read 11:30. _Bloody hell, I seem to be wiling away a lot of time staring into water lately._ After another few minutes, he went back inside.

Knowing it was almost lunch and wondering how he was going to do, he wandered into the kitchen to find Granger and Robert sitting down at the table eating sandwiches.

_Ah, now those I can make. Thank God for Mother sometimes._

Narcissa had taught him how to make sandwiches for the times that he had to go on expeditions with his father, since no women and especially not elves were allowed to go. He found them unpleasant to eat, but conceded that he survived well enough and praised the man who invented them.

"Ah, good morning Draco, or perhaps I should say 'good day'" Robert smiled at him.

"Morning M-Mr, um, Robert," he stuttered over the name.

"Did you want me to make them?" Granger asked him in a cynical tone.

_Does she think I'm stupid?_

"No," he replied defensively. "I know how to make sandwiches, you know." _Shit, I could have got her to make them but now I've said I'll do it. Good one Draco._

"Oh." She looked surprised. "Ok then, well unless you want something different, we haven't yet put the stuff we used away so help yourself."

Draco reluctantly made himself two rounds of sandwiches and poured a glass of milk. He noticed that his plate and glass were missing from that morning, and satisfied himself knowing that it wasn't him that did it. He sat on the table with the others and started his sandwiches.

"So how are you this morning, Draco?" Robert asked.

"I'm ok."

"Slept well then? Bed wasn't too hard or soft?"

_What is with these questions?_

"No."

"Alright."

Draco finished his lunch with an uncomfortable silence engulfing him. He could feel Granger's prying eyes on him every now and then and he was starting to become irritated. _What does she want this time?_

He managed to eat everything and as he made to leave the table, Robert quickly said, "Draco? Can you take your plate and glass to the sink, please?"

Draco looked at him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Robert tried again. "Draco, I asked if you could place your glass and plate on the sink. Don't worry about washing them because they'll be done later tonight."

"But that's servant's work," he argued.

"Not here it's not."

"What, you expect me to reduce myself, a _Malfoy_ down to the level of some pitiful house-elf?" Draco was once again in a state of disbelief.

At the mention of the "pitiful house-elf", Granger glared at him.

Robert only replied, "If that's what a house-elf does, then yes."

"I cannot possibly do such a thing! What will my family think if I did that?"

Granger rolled her eyes and simply said, "Malfoy, this is the real world. Get over it."

"Hermione," Robert scolded. "Be quiet for a moment. It's obvious Draco isn't used to this sort of thing so please refrain from talking for a moment."

Draco blinked in surprise. He had never heard anyone aside from Snape telling Granger to shut up before, not even Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall. The Griffindors always seemed to favour their own house, and everyone reckoned Snape favoured the Slytherins.

Robert turned back to Draco. "It's obvious that you have never had to lift a finger in your own house, am I correct?"

Draco retorted, "What's it matter? We have house-elves and they do the work."

"Right then. Listen Draco, while you are a guest in this house we will try to be as accommodating as possible for you. However, I would like to think that you would also comply and respect the rules that are established in this household. That means taking part in housework as well."

Seeing the look of disapproval on Draco's face, he continued. "You realise that there is no shame in that, no matter what you believe your family might think."

"You don't understand. _I am a Malfoy_, and Malfoys don't do housework." _Seriously, it's obvious you can afford house-elves or servants, so why don't you?_

Robert's voice became stern as he tried to get the stubborn Slytherin to conform. He had been pre-warned about Draco's behaviour from Dumbledore, but he was still slightly overwhelmed at the resistance the boy was putting up. "I'm afraid that while you are under this roof you will do housework. Nothing in the Real World is free, and I would no doubt think that the same goes for the Wizarding World as well."

Draco snorted. "Only if you're a Weasley. That family is so poor that you could feed them crumbs and they'd be forever in your debt."

Granger's chair was pushed back quickly. In one swift movement she stood up from the table and said in a dangerously quiet voice, "Don't you _dare_ say that about the Weasleys!"

"Hermione!" Robert interrupted again. "_What_ did I tell you about keeping quiet?!"

"I'm sorry Dad, but now can you see why he makes my so angry?"

"Hermione, I think you should leave the room. Please, I need to speak to Draco."

Granger stood still for a moment, glaring at Malfoy before leaving the room.

Robert looked back at Draco. It was obvious that he was not happy. The warm eyes that greeted Draco at King's Cross were not the ones that were looking at him now. Draco didn't care though; all he knew was that there was no way that he was going to lower himself to the level of the house-elves.

"You seem to have a great problem conforming to the rules of others. You just said before that you have had everything done for you. Well let me tell you, that not everything is done like that. I saw the look you gave after you saw the house, and I know myself that we have it better than others – "

Draco interrupted, "Then why don't you hire servants to do this work?"

Robert continued, ignoring Draco's question. "I grew up in a rather strict household where no-one received anything for free. We all had to work for it. All the pocket money that was given to us was well earned. I believe that it helped me out tremendously in my life because I don't expect to get things for nothing. Everything comes at a price. It may not directly involve you but it will certainly cost someone else. I instil the same values in my own family."

The man had a point, but still Draco refused to see it. Being the sole heir to one of the most powerful families in the Wizarding World it didn't matter how his family fortune came about. The important thing was that they had it and could do whatever they wanted with it, which meant keeping house-elves to do all the dirty work for them.

"I still won't reduce myself to that level. Such pitiful creatures, house-elves."

It was Robert's turn to glare. He seemed to have lost all patience with the fair-haired teenager standing in front of him.

"So you don't believe that by being a guest in this house you should have to obey our rules?"

Draco hesitated, but didn't back down. "No."

Robert looked about ready to snap, but managed to keep himself in check. When he did speak, it was in a deceivingly quiet but shaky voice.

"You listen here, Draco. We _did not_ have to take you in. _Do not_ think for a moment that we don't know about your past. Hermione has told me of you before, although she has not gone into great details, only that you terrorised her and her friends to no end during the years."

Draco was about to protest but Robert put up his hand to stop him. "Not yet!" _No one tells a Malfoy what to do!_ But the tone of Robert's voice made him obey.

"Having been young myself I know that it takes two to tango and I'm sure that they probably returned the favour on a few occasions as well. But that doesn't matter at this point. The point is I know all about your family's _history_!"

Draco looked down at his feet in discomfort. The emphasis on "history" was unmistakable, so much so that it could have rivalled Snape's stress on certain words. Robert pressed on.

"Hermione made it clear that you were from a very powerful and dangerous family not only to the Wizarding World but to our World – especially our world. She told me all about the impending war at the end of her fourth year, when – what's his name again? Voldemort, that's right – had returned. She explained that he wanted to rid the world of all so-called filthy blooded magic-people. Those who were not purebloods. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. It is obvious that blood is not a concern for how skilled you are. I know that because Hermione herself is not 'pureblood'. (You might want to change that wording, it sounds like he's saying she isn't a virgin...)

"She also told me of the time she was – as I understand – 'frozen' for a few months during her second year after something that this man did. When she told me this I was speechless and disgusted at what happened. How could anyone do that to defenceless students? It's bloody disgraceful, I can tell you that. But the thing _you_ should be most aware of is that she told me how your family was a great supporter of Voldemort. Do you know how much this infuriated me? I could not believe that this country would contain such racist people, when we are the ones who are usually trying to stop such hate in the world."

Draco looked up at this in wonder only to see Robert looking him square in the eyes. He couldn't hide the indignity from his face as he heard what Robert was saying. The way he had repeated "your family" it was as if Draco had been right in the thick of things. He wanted to tell him that he had nothing to do with it, but thought it was wrong to given that during his 5th year he had often been present to the death eaters' meetings, despite his slight change of heart since then.

"Perhaps I should explain since I didn't think that you would know what I am about to tell you. Please interrupt me if you do.

"This is not a new situation for our kind. Years ago there was a man called Adolf Hitler who this Voldemort sounds a great deal like. In fact, you could almost say Voldemort _is_ the Hitler of the modern day. Hitler caused the worst war in history of our World all because he did not like a particular race. He declared that the only decent people in the world were those of the so-called Aryan race – blonde haired, blue-eyed people (_What's wrong with blonde-haired, blue eyed people? Malfoys have always been like that_), but the thing is Hitler had dark-hair and even darker eyes! (_Oh._) He managed to wipe out six million of their people in cold-blood, but in the process killed about twenty million of his _own_ people (_Shit, killing your own kind?_).

"And not everything finished well for Hitler either. What happened to him in the end? He killed himself, that's what."

This last statement rendered Draco at a loss for words. This Hitler person sounded as though he was far more dangerous than Voldemort. And much more powerful too. This time, however, that power was not at all tempting. If Hitler's demand for power led to his ultimate downfall, especially in the way that it had, then what did it say about power itself? Nothing good, that's for sure.

Draco couldn't bring himself to look Robert in the eyes so he laid his eyes on the table at which Robert sat.

"Anyway, I was telling you why we ended up letting you stay." Robert's voice had grown softer, perhaps in realisation that his words were taking some effect. "When Dumbledore approached us with his proposition, we were both stunned and livid. We were quite looking forward to spending the precious two months we are allowed with our daughter, only to have this thrown upon us. We couldn't believe that after everything that your family and Voldemort have done to those like us he would think that we would be quite forgiving (_Again with the 'your family'_). To us it was like sending a Jewish person to stay with a Nazi family or an African-American to stay with the Ku Klux Klan. In other words a very dangerous plan.

"However Dumbledore explained the circumstances in which they came about. He told us that you had confessed to him that you didn't want to follow your father down his path. He said that you had changed your ways of thinking after all the grief your father had caused the family when he was sent to Azkaban, and when he went away on his missions for Voldemort. Not forgetting of course that you could finally see error in your father's thinking. Despite your choice, Dumbledore believed that you would still be hunted by Voldemort to join his ranks.

"He said that he knew it was very difficult for us to take part in this since he knew that we would not be so willing to accept your change of opinion, but he felt there was no other option. We knew that you had very little choice in your eventual fate considering the life that you grew up with, but with our help we felt it could be prevented. After much thought and consideration, we relented in letting you stay. Providing, of course, that if there were any problems that Dumbledore would help out in any way he could. He couldn't thank us enough for what we were doing. It seemed he was really concerned for your welfare, Draco. Be thankful that Headmaster Dumbledore is there to protect you."

Draco looked down at his feet yet again in an overwhelming sense of guilt. He seemed to have lost the battle with his emotions over the past couple of days. Robert's words made him stop and think about the sacrifices everyone was making for him. He realised just how much effort was made into keeping him away from Voldemort and it made him feel ashamed of everything he had taken for granted. He felt annoyed that it was a Muggle of all people who had brought this guilt on, but admitted that the man had a way with words. He hadn't really forced his opinion on Draco; instead he told him the cold-hard facts, which was much like what Dumbledore would have done. _Bloody Dumbledore._

Draco continued to stare at his feet for a few seconds then found the courage to look the man in the eyes. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"I realise this is obviously hard on everyone."

"I'm glad you see that Draco, I really am." There was no barb in Robert's words, and he was looking at Draco somewhat in relief. "I'm fully aware that blood is thicker than water, and that you will probably always try to honour your father the best way you can. Even if that means showing him that he was wrong and you were right. I know men like him, they do not take kindly to anyone differing in opinion so I know it must have taken a lot of courage to go against his beliefs."

_Did he just compliment me? Why?_

This was not what Lucius would have said. There were no cruel jibes such as, "I am never wrong Draco, you should know that" or "You'd better start believing me boy or else" or even "I told you so". He had simply told him that he could understand why he had had the belief that he did.

Something started to change within Draco. He wasn't sure what it was but it certainly made him think about this coming summer. Despite his previous suspicions of Muggles, this particular Muggle family had graciously opened their doors for him in protection when they had every right not to. As Robert had said, they were looking forward to spending the precious two months that they were allowed to see their only child, but instead had been approached by Dumbledore to protect the son of a death eater. Even his own mother had often told him that she missed his presence during the school year.

After a small pause, he gave a small sigh and picked up his crockery to put on the sink.

If Robert was surprised at this apparent breaking of the pride-filled Slytherin, he didn't show it.

"Thank you, Draco."

Draco gave a smirk in return, still finding it hard to accept the kindness given to him, and simply said, "I'm going to my room for a bit."

"Ok then. Just give us a yell if you need anything."

Draco left the kitchen and made for his room.

He realised upon entering it that Castor was not in his cage sleeping.

_Hmm, that's odd. Oh well, maybe he got bored. God knows I haven't been that friendly towards him._

He grabbed one of the books he kept in his bag for times like these and started to read.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

_That bastard! How can he say that about Ron and his family?_

Hermione was sitting at her oak desk with blue ballpoint pen in one hand and journal resting on the desk in front of her. It served as her release for every time she became angry or frustrated, or simply if she was bored. She had used it many times during her first months of first year at Hogwarts before she became friends with Harry and Ron. After the disastrous incident in the girls' bathroom, she found that she didn't get to write in it half as much since all three of them were usually gallivanting around the castle under Harry's invisibility cloak solving mysteries.

This time however, she had written a good five pages on her frustrations of that afternoon. She was feeling much better, but was still quite annoyed that Malfoy had had a go at Ron and outright insulted him.

"_I haven't been as annoyed and upset since he called me 'mudblood' at the start of the year – "_

This made her stop writing and stare at the page. It was the first time she had had a chance to write in it since first being told of the incident because of the excitement of exams. Instead of carrying on about her frustrations about Malfoy's comment about Ron and housework, she wrote about the question that had been lingering at the back of her mind since yesterday before leaving Hogwarts:

"_That's right. Harry told me yesterday morning to owl him or Ron if Malfoy called me 'mudblood'. I thought about it then, but couldn't really say much since none of them were present in Dumbledore's office and I was warned not to give details of the conversation. I guess now is as good a time as ever to vent that frustration as well._

"_After being told what was to happen with him over summer, Malfoy went into a flying rage about how he couldn't possibly be expected to, I quote, 'run away with the fucking Muggles'. I didn't notice because I was so scared but I knew he was angry, scared and just about everything else as well. He was in quite a state, yet for some unknown reason he refrained from calling my family 'mudbloods'. Why would he do that? Not that I'm worried, but what made him do it? Things don't really add up. I'll have to ask him about that at some point. Providing he will even speak to me. God, he's the most arrogant and nasty git about! Why did Dumbledore send him here knowing his opinion of me?_

"_Bloody Dumbledore."_

She realised that she was no longer angry at Malfoy's insult to Ron and the house-elves, but instead angry at Dumbledore for sending him to live with her. She didn't particularly want to start abusing Dumbledore now, as much as she would have loved to but she knew he had considered all parties before deciding what could be done about Malfoy's situation. And he would definitely not place him in their care if he had doubts as to Malfoy's change of heart. Still, it was something that wasn't going to be very pleasant, as proved earlier that afternoon.

Hermione closed her journal. That was enough writing for tonight. She had been writing all afternoon and after putting her pen down, suddenly noticed her wrist was quite sore. She turned to her stereo that was playing the Foo Fighters and turned it off. That was something that she could never forget in the Wizarding World. She came to the conclusion after second year that she could never get used to Wizarding Pop Music. She tolerated the Weird Sisters at the Yule Ball because they sounded much the same as one of her favourite Muggle bands, Garbage. She liked the lyrics that went with the Weird Sisters' music. It wasn't the usual 'you've put a spell on me' type nonsense that was usually present in other Wizarding music. They only made small references to magic and instead focussed on the usual topics.

She left her room to go down for dinner.

Upon arriving in the dining room, she noticed a very small change in her father. He looked tired but funnily enough he looked happy. She then looked at Malfoy but his pale face was only contorted into his usual smirk. Malfoy wasn't saying anything, unlike that morning when he'd been very quick to make comments. However it wasn't the same look as he had given the night before. She could almost say that it seemed like the usual arrogant expression that he wore around the castle back at Hogwarts.

_What was said this afternoon?_

They were eating the typical Sunday roast lamb with vegetables and gravy. As much as she liked Hogwarts food, Hermione could also never forget her mother's home-cooked meals. She herself had never really learnt how to cook, preferring a nice roast or any rice dish that her mother served up as opposed to spaghetti bolognaise only that she seemed to know how to cook.

Malfoy seemed to be enjoying his food immensely. _Perhaps he had missed the food from his own home too._

She imagined that he probably had enjoyed the meal last night too, but was too exhausted to really take it all in. She knew a lot had happened for him in the last week, it had even for her.

Hermione's parents spoke about their respectable days while she and Malfoy ate in silence. They left the room afterwards to leave her to clear up. She didn't have many jobs to do, but cleaning her room and clearing up after meals were hers to do.

She was about to gather up the plates when Malfoy got up with his own plate and glass and took them to the sink.

_What the...???!!!_

She stopped abruptly, hands still hovering over her parents' crockery, and gaped at him with mouth open in surprise.

He only looked at her with the same dirty smirk on his face and said, "Catching flies, Granger?" as if the site of him cleaning up after himself was the most normal thing in the world.

She shut it quickly and glared at him. _Arrogant prick!_ Unfortunately she couldn't think of anything smart to say because she still couldn't believe what he was doing.

His smirk only became more pronounced and he left the room.

_Now I _really_ want to know what was said..._

She cleared up the rest of the dishes and put all of them in the dishwasher. She was quite distracted as she finished tidying the rest of the table and managed to drop the salt on the floor.

"Oh shit!"

"Hermione, what have we said about that sort of language?!" her father's voice came from the living room.

"Sorry Dad. I dropped the salt and it's gone everywhere!" she responded.

"Are you right to clear it up then or do you need a hand?"

"No, I think I should be fine. I'll vacuum it up."

"Okay then."

_Damn Malfoy!_

She cleaned up the salt in a huff and finished clearing the table. She then went back up to her room for some quiet reading.

She had been reading a book by an American author by the name of James Patterson who specialised in thrillers. She loved thrillers, despite pretty much living one every time she went to Hogwarts. She loved having to guess at what was to come. There was nothing worse than having the whole story just about written out in the first couple of chapters, or those soppy romances that always seemed to follow the same formula. Although she was known to have indulged in the odd Jane Austen novel from time to time. That was different, Jane Austen was a classic novelist.

She picked up her book and started to read on her armchair. Crookshanks, who had gone out hunting, came into her room and curled up in her lap.

After a while she put her book down on the little table beside the chair, tipped Crookshanks off and got ready for bed. She lay for a while wondering what on earth she and Malfoy were going to do tomorrow by themselves before finally going to sleep.

* * *

**Comments (lots this chapter):**

Malfoy shaving? Yes, I believe our Draco is becoming a man! :-) I can just see blonde stubble appearing on his face – I love stubble... sigh

Malfoy making sangas... This is probably the one slip-up from canon into fanon.

I've made a few references to World War II for those who don't know:  
(a) "we are the ones who are usually trying to stop such hate in the world"... Britain were part of the Allies who defeated Nazi Germany.  
(b) Hitler being the leader of Nazi Germany at the time. I think a lot of people have concluded that Voldemort is the Wizarding World equivalent of Hitler. I thought that Draco needed it explained since I'm assuming he knows absolutely nothing of the Muggle world. I'm sure Lucius would have been almost obsessive in ensuring this.  
(c) Sending a Jewish person to stay with a Nazi family. The Jews were part of the particular group that Hitler had a prejudice against. The Ku Klux Klan is/was (I don't doubt that there are still probably branches about) an extreme pro-white group in the U.S.A. who are against African-Americans, to name one race.

Trust me, this was a bloody hard chapter to write because I'm fully aware that it's only the second day of Draco's stay. I was originally going to have it that he was staying for a few weeks before the conversation b/w him and Robert took place, but found that sooner rather than later Draco's ignorance of normal house rules – and Muggle ones at that – would get in the way. Therefore I thought that perhaps Draco could develop a silent respect for a Muggle from the get go for showing him some compassion despite his past.

Foo Fighters and Garbage. This is the mid-90's. Both these bands just started out about then.

Spaghetti Bolognaise: I live by myself on campus. I seem to eat a shitload of spag bol and stir-fries.

James Patterson, not a bad novelist, if you ask me. Not recommended reading if you are below 18 years of age however, but I think for Hermione I can make an exception. She always seems aged beyond her years.


	8. Alone with Granger

**Disclaimer: I'm kind of getting tired of putting this at the start of every chapter. So I will just remind people to remember this disclaimer at the start of every chapter so you know I don't own anything. If you thought differently, ie. that I did own everything, I will just say that if I did I would be off touring Europe at the moment and my schooling would be paid for already... ;-) But I do partly own Robert and Jane (their personalities anyway, not the fact that they are Hermione's parents) and the storyline.**

Ok, now that that is sorted out. Thank you to all my reviewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry it's taken nearly a month to get this up, but as I said I had exams and I also got trigger-happy with the chapters and therefore ran out of them until I wrote more. I've written up to chapter 13, so there will be plenty to last a while. Unfortunately I'm moving back home for the summer to work, and I highly doubt I will be able to post many chapters over the next two months. But there should be plenty of time to write, so expect that there should be plenty in the new year. Once again, thank you all for being really patient... much appreciated!!! :-)

**Comments:**

**Sasami Tombo: **Thanks for the review, and it's good to see I didn't freak people out. It was moreso because of the whole Hitler-suicide thing, I thought it would be better to be safe than sorry. But I cannot say that I agree with your last comment... as mentioned in the last chappy anyway :-) .

**Hermione2004:** I thought so too. It was necessary for Draco to know that the Muggle world is prepared for anything and that war is nothing new to them.

**georgie-mini:** I highly doubt that it is possible for Hitler to be a wizard. I'm just saying this because obviously he couldn't be, but also because I wouldn't dabble in something that meant so much to people (ie. the families of those who sacrificed so much during that time).

To my other reviewers, thank you so much! As I say, I love reading them and it's great to see so many people enjoying this story.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Alone with Granger**

The following day Draco got up to find the house incredibly quiet. Slightly worried, he went down to the kitchen without bothering to shower, only to be greeted by a clearly shocked Granger.

"Where is everybody?" he asked, ignoring her stare.

She relaxed her face and replied, "They do work you know."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"What Granger, so you mean that it is just us two here?"

"I'm as thrilled about it as you are."

"Why, what do they do?"

"They are both dentists."

Draco snorted. "Dentists?"

"Yes, dentists."

Draco paused to think about this for a moment.

"If my French serves me correctly, dentes means teeth, so what, are they teeth doctors?"

"I guess that's one way to call them."

"How can you fix teeth without a wand?"

"Malfoy, you really are ignorant aren't you?"

"What?!"

"Muggles have developed their own technology to help them with everyday life. You can't surely have expected them to remain in the 16th century with things."

Draco pinked slightly. "How have they done that?"

Granger looked taken aback. "Ah well – um – look, it's really hard to explain. But there have been many breakthroughs since about the late 1800's that have gradually developed to forms that Muggles know today. Seriously, I could explain things to you for the next two months and I still won't have covered everything."

Draco blinked in surprise. _Two months of straight talking and still not finish? Although Granger could be quite capable of that surely._ "Things have developed that much?" he asked, stunned at his own interest.

Granger laid her dark eyes on him curiously. "Yes, they have."

"Hmph."

Draco was having a think about this revelation when he noticed Granger eyeing him again, this time in wonder much like the look she gave him when he first entered the room. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously but she didn't seem to notice.

Finally she asked in a slightly embarrassed tone, "Um Malfoy, have you just got up or something?"

Draco looked down at himself and realised he was still in his pyjamas. _That explains the look she gave me before._ "Is that a crime, Granger?"

It was Granger's turn to flush. "No, but you don't seem the sort to surface without preparing yourself."

Draco looked aghast. _Does she think I shower in my sleep or something?_

While he did always make himself quite presentable for classes at Hogwarts, he was also known to laze about in his pyjamas until lunchtime on the weekends.

"It does happen every now and then, you know!"

"Okay, I was just a little stunned, that's all."

He scowled at her and took the defensive. "I'm sure even _you_ have those days as well, Granger. Although truthfully speaking it doesn't seem to me that you take as much care of your own hair, judging by its appearance every day."

Granger glared in response. "I'll have you know _Malfoy_, that my hair is extremely well-kept thank you! While it is quite curly it has not bothered me at all during my studies because when I don't have it tied back I put a lot of product in it. Mine has a more natural look, unlike yours. From a distance you would almost think that you were bald!"

Draco narrowed his grey eyes at her and glared.

"Well you can see _now_ that I'm far from it, can't you?!"

Granger's appeared to be lost for words. She looked up at his now-messy hair hanging limp across his forehead and blushed, her only sign of response.

Draco smirked. "I thought so."

He turned back around on his heel to go back up to his room, leaving an annoyed yet shamefaced Granger sitting at the kitchen table.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

_Bloody Malfoy!!! The one person I don't understand!_

Hermione found that she was once again writing in her journal about the goings-on of that morning, but it wasn't purely from her anger at him this time. Instead, she was confused between his rudeness over his appearance and his interest in the Muggle World. Not to mention the state of his appearance in the first place.

She'd become quite shocked when he entered the kitchen looking dishevelled. His usually slicked back white-blonde hair was ruffled and going in all different directions. It could almost rival Harry's for untidiness. She had honestly thought that he never left his room without getting himself ready first. It was strange to see him looking, well, normal for a change.

The fact that he was still in his pyjamas doubly astonished her – blood red cotton singlet with a single meat cleaver emblem over the left breast and matching pants. Obviously his favourite Quidditch team, although she didn't know which one.

She had forgotten that Malfoy was still a boy at heart and would have favourite things. It was much like trying to picture Snape having a social life. Malfoy spent so much time bullying everyone that it was hard to believe that he could put time aside to take part in anything but bullying. Of course Quidditch was a big part of him just like it was Harry, but she was so wrapped up in the idea that he was just like his father that she didn't think he would like any other form of Quidditch except for what they played at school.

Thinking that she couldn't be more stunned, he had shown an interest in the Muggle World. The great Draco Malfoy, skeptical as he was about it all, had wanted to know how things were done in her other World. This had panicked her so much that she had told him that it was not really worth explaining. She now cursed herself to no end for this because she didn't think that he would be that interested despite having to live in the World. She didn't know why, but she had actually wanted to explain how Muggles used technology to help out in their everyday lives, right from where it originated up until how it is used today.

Hermione had never really been able to show anyone her house, not even Harry or Ron because they were usually at The Burrow or 12 Grimmauld Place. It was always her going to their places and not the other way around. She knew that Arthur Weasley would have been very interested to visit her place, with all the gadgets that her father had bought throughout the years but he was busy with the Order. Even before learning she was a witch she hadn't invited many people over to her house, mainly because she did not have many friends at her Muggle primary school. Those that she was friends with had all the gadgets themselves and so there was no need to explain how to use them.

All of a sudden Malfoy's interest had been replaced by his usual scorn when she'd said that she had been slightly baffled over his appearance. Instantly he had retorted with a scathing remark and the argument was on from there. She was annoyed at his rudeness but really couldn't do much about it since she had started the argument in the first place.

Hermione groaned. _As if he's going to want to know anything now!_

She heard her stereo play the last of the Ash album and she walked over to her CD collection to change it to something else.

_Hmm, what to listen to… Garbage? No, I've given that a bit of a fair run lately. Pulp? No, a bit melancholy for the time, I need something with a bit more get-up. How about, ah, perfect._

She found what she was looking for and put the CD into the player.

"Aah, it's time to relax, you know what that means…"

She settled herself into the easy listening introduction of The Offspring's Smash album and picked up from where she'd left off in her journal.

Hermione managed to fill in another six pages of journal writing before she realised that it was just about lunch-time. She suddenly felt guilty because she had left Malfoy on his own for the entire morning with only himself for company and didn't even show him how to use anything. She felt even worse and wondered what he'd done for breakfast. She knew that he'd seen where the bread was kept and other spreads but he still didn't know how to use the toaster or the kettle for that matter. As much as they'd had the argument earlier that morning, she still felt awful for leaving him to look after himself, knowing he'd be too proud to ask her for assistance. As much as she hated thinking about it she was still host as far as they were both concerned and what's more she wasn't acting it one little bit.

She sighed knowing that if he were to survive in this world, he would need her to show him how.

Hermione went down to the kitchen to have some lunch. After making a single round of tomato and cheese sandwiches accompanied by some apple juice, she sat down at the table and unconsciously started to watch the door.

After five minutes, the object of her thoughts walked in looking much more presentable than when she'd last seen him, but with a rather irritated look on his pale face.

Malfoy completely ignored her and went to make himself some sandwiches as well. After pouring himself a glass of milk, he sat down opposite her and started to eat in silence, still avoiding her gaze.

_God, I hope he wasn't too bored._

"Malfoy?"

He continued to ignore her.

"Malfoy!" she tried harder.

"What?!" He looked up at her, clearly annoyed.

Hermione hesitated, not sure how she was going to phrase her next question.

"Um, I was just wondering if you got along okay this morning. You know, just because I didn't really show you around."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Luckily for me, I had a few things with me to keep myself occupied." The irritation in his voice wasn't lost on Hermione, however she ignored it.

"Really? Well that's good then."

He glared at her again before concentrating back on his food.

Hermione sighed softly to herself. _This is not going to be easy._

"Look Malfoy, I realise that I haven't been the best host so far so I thought that perhaps I'd better start doing so."

Malfoy looked back at her to show he was listening, but remained glaring.

"I thought maybe tomorrow morning I could show you how to work a couple of the kitchen appliances like the toaster and the kettle. That way you can have toast and coffee or tea with it instead of bread and juice."

"What makes you think that I didn't have toast this morning, Granger?!"

"Don't take this the wrong way but I would have smelt the toast burning. Every toaster is different to work, even for Muggles."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes then looked away. It seemed he still took offence.

Hermione changed tact. "Malfoy, no-one expects you to know what is going on in this world. You come from a family that has never had anything to do with this World. How can you possibly know what to do? That's why I'm telling you I will show you how to do things in this World. I guess, how to makes things easier for you and to fit in."

It seemed to have some effect on him, albeit a small one because he looked back at her in a tired expression and sighed.

"Fine Granger. You can show me how to use the toaster and the kettle tomorrow morning. Now, can I keep eating in peace, please?"

She gave a small smile out of appreciation and said, "Yeah alright."

They both continued to eat in silence for the next few minutes.

Malfoy finished first and placed his crockery on the sink. Before he left the room, Hermione suddenly thought of something.

"Oh Malfoy?"

He rolled his eyes. "What now?" Although he didn't sound so annoyed this time.

"Have you got something to do for this afternoon?"

He creased his brows and looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, just if you didn't, perhaps I could show you some other things to use, such as the television or the stereo."

Malfoy looked genuinely confused, and she realised that he probably hadn't even heard of these things before.

"The television is a box thing that you watch TV shows on as well as the news and sport and the stereo – " she stopped when she saw that he had cocked an eyebrow and was looking at her in perplexity.

"God, you still don't know what I'm talking about do you?" Malfoy only continued to stare at her, brow still furrowed. "I have no idea how to explain this, I think I'm just going to have to show you at some point."

Malfoy's eyes flashed in triumph and he gave a smirk.

"What's was that, Granger? Did you just say you weren't sure how to explain something?"

_Prick!_

Hermione stood up to face him and placed her hands on her hips in defence.

"I bet you think that's highly entertaining, don't you Malfoy?"

"As a matter of fact I do. I've just witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. And to think I didn't want to come here!" he actually grinned at this.

She glared at him. "It does happen every now and then, you know. I am human for Christ's sake!"

Malfoy's amusement reached his eyes and his grin grew even broader.

"Oh Granger, you've just made my day!"

On that note, Malfoy exited from the kitchen leaving a seething Hermione standing at the table looking gobsmacked.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Draco was still grinning to himself as he sat out at the fish pond again and read his book that he had been reading that morning. The conversation he had just had with Granger was somewhat different to what he had expected. He had been fully expecting a biting remark about three hours too late for his defensive attack from that morning's argument, and so had chosen to ignore her instead of having to deal with her slow retort. Instead he had been greeted with a rather sorry Granger who seemed to want to put the morning behind her and start again.

When she had started to speak, it was apparent that she was making every effort to make things easier for both herself and him.

When she had started the story about her not being a good host and all, he was somewhat relieved that he didn't have to ask her how to use anything especially after that morning. By asking her anything it showed he knew nothing and hence showed weakness. Despite the fact his mind had given itself away the first night, he was determined not to let that happen again. So by Granger offering to show him how to work the various gadgets around the house, it meant he didn't have to ask.

This had left him feeling that there was hope still in this God-forsaken world without giving himself completely away to the enemy, so to speak. In fact, he was actually looking forward to the next morning because perhaps afterwards she might leave him alone to his own devices and they could just exist under the same roof.

When she had tried to explain what the television was, he was genuinely surprised that she couldn't find a suitable way how.

_The great know-it-all Granger, unable to explain a given topic? Am I to believe that this is true?_

It was interesting to catch Granger out at a moment that seemed impossible. Since it had annoyed her so much that he was amused, it made it all the more better.

Perhaps later on he would get her to show him the television, whatever that was. Anything that was difficult enough for Granger to explain was worth seeing. _TV shows, what in the world are they?_ Yes, he most definitely couldn't wait for the next day.

Draco finished his book and looked at his watch. _4:30pm. Damn, still time before Grangers Snr get in. Ah well, perhaps another book is on the cards._

When he went to get up and go inside, he noticed a grey owl fluttering in the distance and upon closing in realised it was Castor.

_Bloody Hell, where have you been?_ Although he could have guessed judging by the note hanging from his leg.

He held out one arm for Castor to land on and went and sat back down on the bench, bird in tow.

As he sat down, the bird hopped onto the seat beside him and held out his leg. Draco undid the note then started to stroke the bird's soft plumage.

"Where have you been, Castor? You realise you are my only friend in this mad place. Unfortunately I don't have any treats for you, but perhaps I can get you something later."

The bird simply hooted in response but nodded to the note, as if to say, 'it's all explained there'.

Draco unfolded the note to recognise his mother's handwriting.

It read:

_My dear Draco,_

_That silly owl of yours decided to stay here the night instead of remain with you. Obviously he thought there was a mistake and that you would be returning here soon enough. I think he also missed his brother and wanted to say 'hello'. I have told him that he must remain with you at all times unless you send him off with letters._

_However, this is not my reason for writing. I must warn you Draco, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES send any letters in my direction because it is possible they will be intercepted. You are far too important to me for you not to obey this order. I know this will be extremely difficult to take but remember I wouldn't do this unless I felt that you were in danger._

_I hope that this doesn't hinder on your stay too much, and I only hope that you are keeping your manners well enough for the Muggle family. They were very good to take you in, please remember that next time you have an argument with them._

_Signed,_

_Your loving Mother._

_PS. I have sent along Pollux__ as well with a note to the Grangers. See to it that he has something to eat before making the trip home again._

Draco had to read the note again to realise that his mother was quite serious in the matter. His apparent good mood quickly dissipated and he scrunched the note up in disgust. Not only it seemed, that he was not allowed any outside communication with his own mother, the underlying tone of the letter suggested that he really should not have any contact with the "Outside World" at all.

Castor hooted at him as if to say, 'Well?' but Draco could not bring himself to look at him, as if it was the bird's fault this entire mess had happened. In response, Castor gave a disgruntled hoot and flew off to join what looked like a clone of his own self, although to Draco could only have been Pollux with the Grangers' note.

Pollux gave Castor a small hoot before flying into one of the upstairs windows of the Granger house. Castor settled for a branch of the nearest oak tree and waited for his brother to come back out to play. After a short while, Pollux came back out to join his brother and the two birds seemed to enjoy the company of one another. After perhaps an hour, Pollux finally gave a farewell hoot to Castor and flew back towards Château de Malfoi.

Draco had watched the entire scene play out in front of him. It was quite depressing to note that two owls seemingly had more fun and affection in their lives than what he did. He had a think about it. Aside from his relationship with his mother, there really wasn't anyone else that he felt remotely close to. He had never been close to Pansy, but simply had the odd fling with her. And Crabbe and Goyle, well they were only there because his father was on familiar terms with both their fathers so he didn't really have a choice in the matter. That did nothing whatsoever to improve his mood. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up in the process and got up to go back inside the house.

_At least dinner will be served soon._

He only knew it was a matter of time before he ran into Granger again, and even though their last encounter had ended fairly well, he had no intentions of speaking to her. In fact, he really did not feel like speaking to anyone at that moment. It felt that he was in a five-star Azkaban. Even though the 'prison guards' were surprisingly friendly enough, there were the same restrictions on communication with everything that he knew. Dumbledore said that he was check up on him when he could, but even that was not going to be enough.

Granger was nowhere to be found, but he could hear the muffled sound of music being played somewhere, perhaps in her room upstairs.

_Thank God for small mercies._

Draco went up to his own room to look for another book that he could read before going down to dinner, when the only book he found was a small novel. Sooner or later, if he wanted to keep reading he was going to have to ask where the library was.

He groaned. _I take that last comment back._

Music could still be heard through the walls and into his room.

_Granger must have her music up bloody loud if I can still hear it._

Yet he could not stop listening to it. It was strange, actually. There was a familiar yet distinctly foreign sense to it that Draco was unable to detect. He thought that perhaps one of his favourite wizarding bands sounded like this, but this, well this was different. At least it distracted his mind from what had in this last hour occupied it. For some reason the music seemed to play out his feelings in a way that he was unsure of, yet at the same time it almost fired him up in a way that made him feel like he was prepared to take on anything. Perhaps not a good thing but it made him accept what had happened, even if only for a short time.

He could definitely hear guitars being played as well as drums and even a piano perhaps? But it wasn't a piano. _But it sounds like one!_ It sounded as if metal instead of instruments was being played. And the voice of the singer, very deep and masculine that rung over the sound of the music yet wasn't exactly singing.

He wasn't able to detect what was being sung, but nonetheless could hear the way the music was produced. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. This was not the sort of music he expected Granger to be listening to. He wasn't sure what he expected her to listen to, but it was definitely not this. It seemed to him that she _was_ an individual away from Potter and Weasel, even if it didn't look like it around them. _Hmph._

Finally the music stopped and it didn't seem to be replaced. In that time Draco hadn't read a single page of the book he had picked up to read, but instead had sat on his bed and listened to the entire song-list being played until it finished. The concept of the music somehow appealed to him; there seemed to be an underlying masculinity about the music that drew him to continue listening. _So why would Granger listen to something like _this_ then?_ This only intrigued Draco more. There had to have been something else about the band for her to want to listen to them. This topic was one that he would have to think about later. For starters, he wasn't even sure on how to broach the topic. Considering their past encounters at Hogwarts, it wasn't like he could just go up to her and say "Oy Granger, I know I've been a daft prick to you, but could you show me what that music was? It was fascinating."

The situation they were in now was different, true, but somehow he felt that she wouldn't just forget about six years of put-downs and jibes and everything else that he threw at her, Potter and Weasley. Not to mention that idiot Longbottom. Draco was just going to have to be content with waiting until the right moment to ask.

The grandfather clock at the end of the hallway chimed six o'clock. Granger's parents' voices could be heard downstairs now that the music had stopped. Draco knew that dinner would be served at 6:30 since it had the night before. But then again, her parents had not worked that day either.

_Ah well, perhaps nothing changes._

That meant that he had half an hour to kill before going down to dinner. He turned the book around to have a look at the cover – "Revealing the Source" by François La Langue – and read the blurb on the back of the book.

_Hmm, "A gang of no-gooders run around England following orders from a mastermind, until their latest heist brings their world crashing down around them by a skilled group of Aurors. After each gang member gives his/her confession, the Auror team follow the overall scent to try to track down the mastermind behind it all. When they finally approach the Accused, a massive revelation shocks and divides the opinion of the entire Wizarding Community." Sounds interesting enough._

Anything to keep his mind occupied was all Draco really cared about. The book was one that his mother had leant him to take to Hogwarts with him in case he got bored with the rest of his house. Unfortunately due to a massive increase in schoolwork and Quidditch practice it was difficult to find the time to partake in leisure activities such as reading. Draco had also been determined that he would not let the recent jailing of his father ruin his schooling, it had in fact turned into a blessing in disguise. Although some nights at Hogwarts he had found he could not sleep, and one or two books had eventually been read throughout the year but overall, his sixth year had contained very little leisure activities.

He opened the book at the first chapter and started to read.

Half an hour later he could hear Jane's voice calling from the bottom of the stairs announcing that dinner had been served.

Reluctantly but conceding that he was indeed hungry, Draco made his way down to the dining room to indulge in the latest batch of Granger home-style cooking.

He took a sniff. _What's that smell? It's bloody strong, whatever it is._

When he entered the dining room, he saw instantly the object of his desires. A large frying pan with vegetables and noodles (?) that looked as though it had just been taken off the heat was sitting in the middle of the table, along with some soy sauce and funny-looking rolls.

"I do hope you like stir-fry, Draco." Jane said. "I believe it's one of Hermione's favourite meals. She told me that they don't serve anything like this at Hogwarts."

She looked at him, expecting a response.

"Er, no they don't. I can't honestly say I've ever had it either."

"Really?" She was surprised at this, looking much like Granger did when she was shocked too. It was obvious who Granger took after. "Well, perhaps you should only take one spring roll then." She offered a spring roll to him. "You eat it with lettuce, you see. And you can dip it into the tartar sauce as well."

Draco gave a skeptical look with furrowed brow but took a pre-offered roll. He then grabbed a piece of lettuce leaf off the plate, feeling funny about eating with his hands all the while, and wrapped it around his roll as he had seen Granger do.

He shut his eyes and took a bite. _Not bad, surprisingly not bad._

Something in his look must have given this away because Jane smiled at him and offered him some more. More eagerly he took two more spring rolls and pieces of lettuce.

"Now Draco," Robert interrupted but with a smile. "If you eat too many spring rolls you won't be able to eat your main meal. Those noodles can fill you up quite quickly, you'll be surprised."

Draco looked at Robert with a quirked eyebrow. "But there doesn't seem to be much there."

"As I said, you'll be surprised."

Nothing more was said on the matter, but Draco could only guess that perhaps the man knew what he was talking about and left it at that.

As it was, his serving of stir-fry not only tasted quite lovely but did also fill him up quite unexpectedly. He wasn't sure what it was, but could never remember vegetables at Hogwarts or at his own manor filling him up as they did now. He conceded that it must have been the noodles.

He was about to get up to put his plate on the sink when Robert stopped him.

"Draco, do you have a moment?"

_Do I know what this is about?_

"We received a letter from your mother today, she told us that she sent one to you as well."

_Oh. That. Damn, I had forgotten that they got a letter as well._

Draco's face gave little response, but he could feel his previous feelings returning.

"Yes, she did."

"I won't ask what she said in your letter, because obviously your business is your business. She told us one thing that she told you, although I don't think I need to elaborate on it." Robert sighed. "Look, nothing that I say will make things any better for you, so I won't say anything. But just remember that we are all here if you need to talk, no matter what time."

Draco eyed him suspiciously. After yesterday's speech he wasn't sure exactly what to make of Robert, a fool for trusting him so quickly or someone to have a silent respect for, for not judging him nor making him feel useless. Now, he still wasn't sure what to make of him. If six years in Slytherin house taught him anything, it was to trust no one. But once again, he was reminded of how his father would have broached the topic. 'Draco, don't be weak about this. You are a Malfoy! Start acting like one!'

Robert only looked at Draco for a second then got up to read the newspaper in the lounge-room. This was almost too much. He was still split between his two thoughts to be able to draw any sort of conclusion of the man. He had to clear his head. There were too many things going around it at the moment. He wasn't sure of what to do to clear it since at any other time he would have written a letter to his mother, but that was the reason he had been thinking this way in the first place.

He quickly took his plate and glass to the sink without a word. Just as quickly he exited from the dining room and hurried upstairs to his room.

Reaching his room, he knew he wouldn't be able to read due to his concentration on other things. He wondered if he could go outside, but there was nothing he could do out there since the light wasn't good enough to read. However, he had to get his thoughts out of his head somehow. Then an idea struck him. He wouldn't write a letter per se to his mother, but at least in the form of a letter he could put words to thoughts and perhaps release a bit of tension about the topic.

Starting from the start of the trip, he wrote the 'letter' and explained everything about what had been going on. He went through every single detail over what the house looked like to how he felt the first evening right up until the present day's events and his feelings that night. Even though he wasn't able to send the letter, it had been good to actually put feelings into words and get a true sense of what he felt. He even felt a little better afterwards only he knew he still wouldn't be able to concentrate on his book.

He looked at his watch. _11:15. Hmph, must have been writing a long time then. But I'm not tired! What the Hell am I going to do?_

He noticed that Castor was missing from his cage, no doubt out on a hunting expedition. Draco thought for a moment, then remembered his broom. He hadn't been able to go flying before because the night was still young but at this time he didn't think many people would be awake, especially because it was the working week. With that in mind, he grabbed his Nimbus 2001 (_really need to get the new Nimbus 2005, this is getting past its use-by date)_ and stole quietly down the staircase.

Draco was just about out the kitchen door when he heard a low 'mieow'. Jumping nearly a foot in the air, he turned around briskly and saw Crookshanks glaring at him with one eye. _Bloody cat, I don't know what Granger sees in that thing._

"Keep quiet, Crookshanks was it? If you don't keep quiet I'll skin you as quick as you can 'mieow'. You don't want that, do you?"

Crookshanks only hissed and ran in the other direction. _Up the stairs. Thank God Granger has her door shut._

Finally he was able to open the door without any more interruptions this time and head outside. It was a still night with very little breeze and nearly a new moon. Having been on a few night flights back home, Draco knew how to navigate with the stars. Seeing in the dark was no problem either. Having had a lot of practice, he knew his eyes would quickly adjust to the little light that was available.

He straddled his broom and kicked off from the ground.

Oh how the air felt good all around him! He finally felt like he was free, even if it would only be for an hour or so. He could feel the wind sweep through his hair as he made loops and twists and sprints and anything else he knew his broom was capable of. Suddenly all the tension of the night drained from his body and he could feel himself relax.

Flying had always been something to help him get back to sleep. Here at the Grangers it would be impossible to do this every night, but at least it was something he could do every once in a while when the chance arose.

He quickly caught sight of Castor, who seemed pleased to see him this time, and called out softly to him. Castor flew up to him and landed on the end of his broom as Draco stopped to hover in mid-air.

"Castor you prat," he joked as he stroked the bird's feathers. "I didn't mean to make you upset. I just wasn't expecting that letter Mother sent me."

Castor gave a soft hoot and ruffled his feathers. Draco flew more slowly this time to the nearest tree and let Castor hop off onto a branch. A few minutes passed as they both sat up in the tree and let the rest of the nightlife go by.

Eventually Draco knew that he'd been outside for about an hour and so decided that he had better get back to the house. He said 'goodbye' to Castor and manoeuvred his broom back towards the house. After making his descent, he stopped just short of the verandah and dismounted from his broom then walked inside. He had been too busy concentrating on missing the various plants and trees in the garden to notice a lone figure standing at one of the upstairs windows, watching his every move.

**

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****Comments:**

Draco's slicked back hair - I disagree completely with Hermione! I happen to love this look of Tom Felton's in COS. That first scene of his in Flourish and Blott's remains a firm favourite of mine from the movies. Another is actually an interview on the DVD when he's talking about Malfoy as a character, and he says, "he's a git really," with the cutest accent…

Draco's PJ's - Wigtown Wanderers. I thought the mascot of the meat cleaver seemed to suit Draco.

Hermione's taste in music - random I know.We never actually know what she likes tolisten to in the books. I thought it might be a goodidea that she have quite a different taste compared to whatothers would think to show people that she doesn't just follow what Harry and Ron do, nor Lavender and Pavarti.

Muggle toasters - I hate trying to learn to use new toasters because even when they say Medium you still seem to get burnt toast.

Castor and Pollux – from Greek Mythology. They were the twin offspring of Leda and the Swan (under which persona Jupiter had taken on), and their sister was Helen, famous for causing the Trojan War. When Castor was slain in battle, Pollux, at a loss for his twin brother, pleaded with Jupiter to replace Castor's life with his own. For this, Jupiter allowed them both to survive, but on alternate days. It is also believed that Jupiter rewarded them for their unique attachment by placing them amongst the stars as Gemini, the twins.  
So why do the Malfoys have twin owls (in this story anyway)? When buying Draco's owl in Diagon Alley, his mother spotted Pollux first in the Owl Emporium then realised that there were two. She couldn't bring herself to split the two up because they were obviously affectionate with one another, so they simply bought both (quite possible because they are Malfoys after all). Draco got Castor, and his mother has Pollux. His father has a separate owl that was the family owl until Draco's need arose. This perhaps also says something of Draco's relationship with his mother as opposed to his father.

May be a while before I next post, or even tomorrow, we will see, just to remind you. I'm sorry about this, but I really have to move back home, it's too expensive to stay here over summer... Bye for now, and have a good holiday season!


	9. The Ways of the Toaster

To all, I'm so sorry that it has taken this long to post this chapter. It has been written for a long while but I haven't had a chance to post. I don't have time to write individual notes but may be able to do so tomoz. Will try to post Ch10 later. Thank you for all your reviews, I trully appreciate it... ;-)

PS. If there are mistakes, I'm sorry but I didn't get to post it to my beta beforehand.

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**Chapter 9: The Ways of the Toaster**

The next morning, Hermione woke up from a rather interrupted sleep to find out that she was half hanging off her bed with the doona wrapped around her body in an almost constricting manner. Feeling quite annoyed and sleepy, she managed to untangle herself and replace the bedclothes back where they were meant to be. Crookshanks was sitting on her desk chair with one eye open and giving her his most annoyed look. She shot a look back at him.

"Crookshanks!" she announced dramatically. "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have had such a poor night's sleep. So don't be getting annoyed at me!"

Crookshanks gave a rather agitated 'meow' and hissed at her before settling back down on the chair. Hermione never got upset with Crookshanks, especially because she knew he always had an ulterior motive for waking her up at such hours. And not usually because he was bored either. She knew he was a smart cat after he had discovered that the scraggy dog in their third year was actually Harry's (now deceased) godfather, Sirius. No, she was annoyed at Crookshanks because the cause of his worries had kept Hermione up half of the night, rendering her unable to sleep.

After having let Crookshanks into her room the previous night, he had wandered straight over to the window and jumped up on the sill, still meowing profusely at her. Only when Hermione had walked over to see what he was looking at did he eventually stop. There she had seen Malfoy, or rather a smallish broom with a figure on it, whom she only knew would have been Malfoy. He was flying amongst the nightlife in the sky, manoeuvring his broom every which way and that, and to Hermione, had appeared the happiest he had for a long time. She had watched the entire spectacle occur and realised only after he had descended that it must have been close to an hour that he had been airborne. She had seen his face when he landed from the verandah light; it was one of contentment and nothing more. She had never seen that expression on his face before. His face was only ever contorted into a smirk at Hogwarts, or sometimes a scowl. In fact, it seemed noone had ever seen Malfoy look truly happy until that moment when she had seen his face out of the upstairs window. It was obvious he took the same pride in flying as what Harry did. Hermione could understand; she thought exactly the same about reading literature or other interesting fables.

Hermione couldn't get that image of Malfoy out of her head even when she settled back into bed. She had heard Malfoy's door open and shut, and knew that he was in bed at that time. Still, the image of him looking so carefree up in the air had stayed with Hermione the entire night, keeping her just short of slumber. Her only option was to curse Crookshanks for disrupting her otherwise pleasant sleep.

She looked at her alarm clock. _9:30am. Oh Christ, I was meant to help Malfoy with the toaster!_ Cursing herself for forgetting to set her alarm, she quickly ran downstairs without having a shower.

Hermione briskly entered the kitchen just as Malfoy was exiting, and he only just got out of the way in time before she ran into him.

"Jesus Granger, watch where you're going!" he exclaimed angrily.

"I'm really sorry, Malfoy," she responded breathlessly. "I slept in and realised I was meant to help you out and – "

"Too right you were meant to help me out. You're lucky that I didn't just give up and try to figure it out myself, aren't you?!"

"Look, I'm here now, do you want me to still show you or not?"

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and glared. "Fine then Granger. I was actually just on my way up to see where you were, since you never usually fail to keep promises."

Shocked by this statement, Hermione's mouth was still holding an 'O' shape when Malfoy continued.

"Well?" he asked. "Are you going to show me or not?"

_I don't understand you Malfoy, I really don't._

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Good. Right, where is this toaster anyway?"

Hermione was still feeling funny about showing the previously self-proclaimed Muggle-hater how to work appliances from that exact same world. None-the-less, she walked past him into the kitchen and showed him the spaceship-looking toaster.

"This," she said pointing, "is the toaster. How many slices do you want?"

"Two."

_No please or thank you. Typical of him I guess._

"Right, put two slices in then."

Malfoy did what he was told, and placed two slices of wholemeal bread into the toaster. Hermione stole a quick glance at him as he did so. Surprisingly, he looked slightly interested.

_Okay, I'll take that as a good sign. A _really_ good sign._

She pressed on. "How dark do you want your toast?"

"I usually like it when it's golden brown. Too light and it tastes doughy, too dark and all you can taste is the black crap."

"You know what that 'black crap' is don't you?" Hermione said, unable to restrain herself.

Malfoy smirked. "I don't but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"Fine, I won't!"

"Granger, I know you want to. I promise I won't say anything nasty for once."

"Pfft! Well, that's a first!"

"Try me," he challenged.

Hermione looked at Malfoy skeptically but his pale face gave nothing away; nor did it contain any scowl either.

"Oh alright. The black stuff that is on the toast is actually the element Carbon, formed when the heat from the toaster reacts with the molecules of the bread. It is effectively a combustion experiment. The heat breaks down the compound (or bread) to form Carbon and another compound. The same applies for wood. You'll notice in a fire, the wood turns black when it is burnt. All that black stuff is Carbon."

"Really?" Malfoy quirked an eyebrow at this fact.

"Yes really. Anyway, I still haven't shown you how to actually work the toaster. Now, you said you wanted it golden brown?"

"You have a fine memory, Granger."

She ignored his sarcasm and carried on. "You turn this dial here," pointing at the dial, "to the setting you want. There are eight settings on this particular toaster. As I said before, all toasters are different. Why? I'm not sure, but each company makes its own variation and keeps improving on them as it develops them. Regardless, on our toaster setting five is actually golden brown. There is a small line between golden brown and burnt, that's why I guess it's closer to the dark settings as opposed to the lighter settings. Got that?"

"Yes, Professor Granger, I understand."

"Malfoy, if you aren't going to take this seriously, I'm stopping."

"I won't say anything else, I promise."

Hermione couldn't help but think this was not true but she desperately wanted breakfast herself, not to mention a shower so she continued the lesson on the toaster. Malfoy turned the dial to setting five.

"That's right. Now, push that little lever down, and your toast will start cooking."

Malfoy pushed the lever down then scowled and creased his brow.

"What's wrong?"

"How will I know when it's cooked?"

That's what the dial is for. It's a thermostat, and it will automatically lift the lever when it's ready."

"Oh right." His faced relaxed again into its usual smirk.

There was a small pause as the toast started to cook. Suddenly, Hermione remembered something.

"Um, Malfoy, did you want tea or coffee with your toast?"

Malfoy looked at her with slight confusion, then appeared to remember about the lesson in the kettle as well.

"Um yeah, I will."

"Okay then, the kettle is – "

"On the bench, beside the sink. I do know what the kettle is, you realise."

"Oh. Well in that case, I'll just show you how to use it then, shall I?"

"You shall."

Hermione wandered to the sink with kettle in hand and filled it up.

"Obviously the kettle won't boil without the water," Malfoy rolled his eyes but held back due from the promise he made before, "so you must fill the kettle above this line, otherwise it's not good for the kettle. This is much simpler to use than the toaster. Now all you have to do is push that button there, and the kettle will boil automatically, and will pop out again when the water is boiled."

Pushing the button, Malfoy stepped back. Seconds later, he jumped nearly a foot in the air after hearing the toast pop up.

"Shit! What was that?"

Hermione let out a giggle.

"Oh yeah, the toaster can scare you if you aren't prepared for it. Not to worry, your toast is ready."

Taking the slices out of the toaster, Malfoy set about putting spreads on them while Hermione loaded it with her own slices of bread.

Soon, both Hermione's toast and the kettle were ready and her and Malfoy sat at the table and started to eat.

They had been eating for about five minutes when Malfoy broke the silence.

"Have you only just got up or something, Granger?"

Hermione quickly looked up at him. His face was in his same smirk but with one raised eyebrow to lesson the bite of his remark.

Hermione's eyes darkened and she blushed, remembering the very same words she had spoken to Malfoy the previous day.

"How long have you been wanting to say _that_ for?" she tried to sound menacing knew she was failing miserably.

"Since I saw you come down before. Really Granger, I thought you slept in your sleep or something." Malfoy's pale blue eyes were flashing in amusement, and he was grinning for the second time that week.

_Arrogant prat! But it's good to see him actually smiling for once._

She kept her thoughts to herself and instead just glared at him.

"While _you've_ obviously had time to get ready, I didn't want to delay you any more than I already had, so…" …_see what you want to make of _that_ one, Malfoy._

"So… you thought you'd make a point of how dishevelled your hair could really be? Was that it?"

"What?!" Hermione felt her hair instinctively. She had forgotten to put it up that morning in her rush to get down into the kitchen, and realised that it was boofing out everywhere. "Oh right."

"It's really quite fetching Granger. Perhaps you should wear it like that more often."

"You are such an arrogant git, Malfoy!"

"Unable to make a decent comeback? Granger, you've surprised me again."

Yes, she was unable to make a decent comeback, so she contented herself with a scowl.

They continued eating in silence. Unable to refrain from doing so, Hermione glanced at Malfoy after every couple of bites of her toast to see him still carrying a funny-looking grin plastered on his face. She was shocked to note that she could see him glance at her once or twice out the corner of her eye. She finished her toast and tea before he did, and quickly placed her crockery on the sink. She desperately wanted a shower before Malfoy had time to say anything else about her appearance.

She quickly stole upstairs, leaving a grinning Malfoy at the kitchen table.

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1 Remember they are dentists, and self-procraimed healthy nuts, so wholemeal bread is up this alley.

2 Am VERY unsure on how it is formed, but I do know that Carbon is the 'black crap' on toast. My only guess is that it's like a combustion situation where the toast has so much heat applied that the toast compound 'breaks down' to form Carbon and another element or compound.


	10. Discoveries on Both Sides

I'm sorry, it seemed that the bloody thing didn't upload properly so was waiting till I wasn't busy to have another go. Seems like now is the time...

To my ever-faithful reviewers **sugar n spice 522**and **AngelSerpent91** thank you for always giving your thoughts on the progress of the story, it really is good to have progressive reviews!

To everyone else, thank you for your thoughts and opinions, I will try to upload the story a little quicker in future. Chapters up to 12 are done, so I will run out soon! Please bear with me, I've been flat out and haven't had time to write.

On y va!

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**Chapter 10: Discoveries on Both Sides**

It was impossible to believe that less than two weeks ago, Draco had thought that he would be returning to Château de Malfoi to stay over summer. He couldn't have been in a more different position. Furthermore, his initial disgust had been replaced with something of perhaps mild curiosity. That morning's first lesson in Muggle appliances had left him rather impressed. He had never imagined what life must be like without magic, having been surrounded by it all his life. It was obvious that Muggles weren't stuck in the 16th century as Granger had told him the day before. The toaster was a strange thing. A box-like thing that seemed to radiate heat and cook the bread. How? That was something he could not be sure of. Although he did notice a piece of rope or something attached to the toaster, which perhaps had either nothing or absolutely everything to do with it. And the kettle, it looked not a lot different to the one at the manor, only the way in which the water was boiled. There was another rope-thing attached to the kettle that perhaps helped in heating the water.

_Ah, it seems that this rope must do the heating of some sort, but how? Must ask Granger that one. But better do it later._

Draco didn't think it would be a good idea to suddenly bombard Granger with requests of showing him how to work things in the Muggle world that day. Seeing as he had previously regarded Muggles in distaste and considerably poor opinion, he did not think that she would be able to handle his sudden interest in the Muggle world. Besides, he still had his book to read and so he thought that perhaps it was best to leave the requests for more lessons in Muggle technology for later on. He was still dying to know what this television thing was or the stereo for that matter.

_Perhaps I'll ask her tomorrow about them, seeing as I don't think I'll be reading my book any later than today._

The day was quite a good one, again (_thank Christ_). Never quite threatening to climb much higher than about 100, it was hot enough that the shade was quite pleasant, but cool enough that it was not stifling and that indoors was more appealing. Draco decided to go back out to the fish pond and finish reading his book. He had read about 100 pages of it the night before and found that it was quite an interesting book. It had nothing to do with Dark wizards but rather those that preferred the meddling and wealthy ways as opposed to Dark Magic ways. In other words, the gang stole from the banks of the wizarding world (the entire world over) as well as some of the Muggle museums containing priceless wizard artefacts dismissed as Middle Ages pieces.

He got about another 20 pages into it when he heard footsteps behind him.

Turning around, he saw Granger coming up the path towards the fish ponds, book in hand (_typical_). She started at his sudden look but didn't falter and continued to approach him.

"What is it that you're doing?" she asked bluntly.

"What does it look like, Granger?" he responded sarcastically, although not as roughly as when he told Goyle the same thing.

Granger took one look at the pages held open by his fingers in his lap then looked up again at Draco. She looked genuinely confused, as if she was not sure what she was looking at.

"Malfoy, is that a book?"

"For someone who spends so much time in them, I would have thought you would be able to recognise one at a mile's distance."

Granger glared at him. "Since when have you liked reading?"

"You can't honestly think that I enjoying spending every waking minute in the presence of two buffoons, can you?" Draco retorted. "Besides, it can be quite relaxing out in the sun on a nice day."

Granger scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"Jesus, Granger," Draco was starting to become irritated. "I'm sure you of all people know that Crabbe and Goyle aren't the smartest people around. Unfortunately for me, they are the least annoying people in my house to hang around. They are also quite handy in a fight, too."

"But did you just say that you enjoy reading?" her face started to contort into a smirk.

"What's your point?"

"I never pictured you to be the reading sort."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Granger. If you weren't so preoccupied with The-Boy-Who-Somehow-Lived-Against-An-Impossible-Curse and the red-headed spider then you may notice that I do not spend all my spare time on the Quidditch pitch or in the Slytherin Common Room. I have been known to take a wander to the lake with a book or sometimes in the library."

"But I've rarely seen you in there!"

"True, but you always seem to stick to the far side of the library, whereas I don't really care where I sit, so long as it's away from any annoying Gryffindors."

"What, and the Slytherins are perfect angels, are they?!"

"I never said they were!" he snapped. "This last year has proven that, hasn't it?!"

Granger shut up quickly and blushed scarlet. Draco continued to glare at her.

There was a long pause where the only noise heard were the birds twittering in the trees and the odd 'plop' of the goldfish surfacing in the pond.

Finally Granger broke the silence, her voice much quieter than before.

"I know, but I didn't realise that you'd be aware of it, that's all."

"I know more than you think I do, Granger," he said resentfully. "Remember, I've grown up with these people, not you."

"O-Of course, I'm sorry about that."

Draco was taken aback by her apology since there wasn't really anything she should be apologising for. He looked at her intently, wondering what she was thinking. She only looked back in slight concern, and for once he didn't feel the need to dismiss it.

"Yeah, well, I can only imagine what they'll be doing over summer."

Something in his mind twigged and suddenly Draco remembered about what Goyle had told him. He opened his mouth as if in wanting to say something but shut it again. Instead he looked back towards the fishpond, staring into the water, wondering whether he should tell Granger what he had been told or not. He didn't want the attack on the Ministry official to happen but if he did say anything, he would perhaps create more trouble that what was already present.

"Malfoy," Granger hesitated. "Are you alright?"

"Uh yeah, I'm okay." He couldn't bring himself to say it. He needed more time to think about it before he decided to tell her about the attack. He knew that Granger and the rest of the Annoying Three were working against the Dark Lord but still, his trust in people had gone downhill very quickly since the start of the year. The only person he still trusted with his life was his mother but even she had been keeping secrets from him, as was apparent after their little chat earlier in the year.

"You sure? It looks like you wanted to say something."

He kept staring at the pond. "Er, no, I-I don't have anything else to say."

She narrowed her brown eyes and looked at him disbelievingly, but admitted defeat and resigned to not push the topic further.

"Alright."

There was another brief pause, and Draco turned back to look at Granger. She was looking at the pond as well, obviously entranced by the movements of the fish just below the surface.

Finally, Draco broke the silence.

"So, is that all you came out here for? To ask what I was doing?"

"Oh, well, yeah I guess." Granger looked at her feet, her hair amassing around her shoulders as she did so. "It's just that it's only been us two here during the week, and to be honest, I've been curious as to how you've passed the time. Although it's obvious what you've been doing."

"You just answered your own question there, Granger."

Granger ignored the sarcastic jibe. "May I ask what is it about?"

Draco looked at her in slight annoyance, reminded heavily of her persistence in the classroom, but resolved to tell her about the book.

"Okay, well it's about this gang of troublemakers who follow orders from a mastermind." Seeing the look of irritation Granger gave him he rolled his eyes and changed tact. "If you'd let me finish speaking then you would not have been so quick to jump to conclusions. It's not about Dark Wizards. It's about a group of wizards and witches who rob banks and museums for money and other priceless artefacts. They don't always use violence, and the Unforgivables are never used. But after one heist, they manage to get caught and are sent in for questioning. After each gives their confession, the Aurors who are assigned to capture them follow the scent and discover the identity of the mastermind. Apparently it is one massive revelation, but I haven't got up to that part yet."

"Oh, sounds pretty interesting."

"Yeah it's alright, it seems to keep you guessing."

"Have you got other books with you here, or is that the only one?"

"I've got about ten books in total. They're the ones I took to Hogwarts during semester, but didn't have the time to read all of them."

Draco wasn't really sure what to make of his current situation. He was sitting in the Granger's backyard overlooking fishponds discussing literature with the one person who he had always held in low opinion up to a couple of weeks ago, being a Gryffindor and a Muggle-born to boot.

Still, it was comforting to be able to discuss something other than Quidditch to someone who was willing to listen. As much as he loved playing Quidditch, even he grew tired of the constant chatter over every new rule that came in or some new way the robes were made for better aerodynamics. Unfortunately, during school year it was impossible to be able to do this since he was the smartest Slytherin in his year level. This meant that most people didn't really know what he was talking about if he started to go on about a new Charms technique or something else like that. Instead, he usually copped the same response every time of, "Malfoy (or Draco if it was Pansy whom he was talking to), it's the weekend, relax and have some fun!"

Granger gazed at him rather shyly. " Um, is it alright if I read them one day?"

Draco looked at her in alarm and found he was speechless. Granger hurried on.

"It's just that I've read most of my books at least once, and I wouldn't mind something different for a change."

Draco continued to stare at her, then realised she needed a response.

"I suppose. Although I don't know if they will interest you much."

"Oh that'll be great!" Granger's eyes were bulging and she was grinning broadly that she looked as though she was fighting the urge to whoop with joy (_Granger, you really should just let it out. I know you want to_). "Well, while we're on the subject of it, if you're interested, the study is full of books of all genres that you may want to read."

"Study? You don't have a library?" Draco nearly cursed himself for being so tactless about something he had just got out of asking, but it didn't seem to really affect Granger much. Her grin faltered only slightly, and she continued.

"No, our house may be quite large, but it's no Hogwarts. However, the study is quite big so there are plenty of books to keep you amused for the next two months."

_Oh shit, I forgot it was two months. Actually when you put it like that, it doesn't seem that long._

"Er, okay (_Hang on, didn't I find the study the first night? Oh well, I didn't really take it in at all so perhaps it would be best to just let her show me._). Perhaps you can show me later on then. But I really want to finish my book off, so can I do that without any more interruptions?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"Okay then. By the way, it's nearly lunchtime."

_What? How long have we been talking out here?_

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. I'm going to have some lunch then. Coming?"

Draco looked at her in confusion. This was not the typical Granger he had known at Hogwarts. He had always thought that she was quite conceited and bossy. This particular Granger was different, but not so different to be foreign. It was quite weird actually to see her not so 'know-it-all' for once. It was something that he didn't expect would be possible. However seeing as her taste in music was so different to what he had expected, perhaps it was true that he didn't know her as well as he thought he did either. And seeing their previous discussion on literature, she proved that she could be interesting with a given topic without being unbearable.

"Yeah, alright."

He followed her up the path to the back door. No words were exchanged between the two yet it was not uncomfortable either. When they reached the back door, Granger opened the door and motioned for Draco to go in before her. _Wasn't I meant to do that instead?_ He looked at her briefly before going in and making his way to the kitchen.

They made their lunch of yoghurt and fruit with juice and sat down at the big wooden kitchen table to eat. Again, not many words were spoken, as if both were in thought about the previous conversation. Well, Draco was pondering over it anyway and could only guess that perhaps Granger was as well.

It was indeed strange to be sitting in her kitchen mulling over a decent conversation that the two had just had. And he realised that at least he would have something to occupy his time from now on when he ran out of books. Just as well because he needed to be able to do something since he could no longer write letters to his mother.

His thoughts were interrupted when Granger spoke.

"Malfoy? Do you think you could lend me one of your books now?" she asked.

This was something that Draco was not prepared for so soon. _God, no wonder the Sorting Hat put her in Gryffindor. Admittedly she has a fair bit of guts._

"What happened to the book you had out in the garden?"

"Oh, that was just a biography on a well-known American essayist called Ralph Waldo Emerson I picked up in a bookshop last summer that I didn't get to read."

"Who?"

"Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote a famous essay called 'Self Reliance', which deals with the way one should appreciate one's own life, without following the 'rules' (for want of a better word) of others. In other words, one should be proud of who one is, and not worry about the opinions of others towards them. To judge not on what possessions one has in acquisition or inheritance nor become envious of those who appear to have something that one does not. It's quite interesting, actually."

"Too many third person impersonal pronouns, if you ask me."

Granger rolled her eyes. "Getting over that, I picked it up because it seemed to be an interesting read. But anyway, surely you studied English somewhere before Hogwarts? Aside from your snide remarks, you do seem to be able to speak quite well. I would have thought all the 'ones' would have been right up your alley."

"And once again, you forget who I've had to spend all my life around. Need I mention Crabbe and Goyle?"

Granger gave a small grin. "True, I keep forgetting that."

"They don't possess much in the way of intellect, especially when it comes to literature. The only person I've been able to discuss that with is my mother."

"Really? She's the reading sort as well?"

"She's who introduced me to it. It provided much entertainment when my father went away on his 'expeditions' over summer," he said with distaste. "Then we would end up talking about our latest readings during the night."

Draco sat quietly after realising that he just announced a very private matter with Granger. He cursed himself inwardly and concluded that he should just shut up and not talk about such things any more. It never made him feel good at all, and having just told it to Granger of all people it made him not feel any better. However it didn't seem to bother her much.

"That's really good. Both my parents read but they don't possess the same interest as what I do. And I'll admit, Harry and Ron aren't really the best people to discuss these things to either."

"Did I just hear you correctly, Granger? You've shocked me lately."

"Malfoy," she rolled her eyes. "While Harry and Ron are my best friends even I know that they do not share the same interest in school as what I do. Although Harry does moreso now."

"I don't know how you can be friends with those two idiots. They really don't seem to be able to do anything for themselves."

"Need I remind you who _always_ fight your battles, coughcrabbeandgoylecough?"

It was Draco's turn to blush. He was expecting Granger to jump to the O Annoying Ones' defence, but instead she returned a fiesty remark and a smirk as well.

"I'm talking about schoolwork. They are both as dumb as dragon dung."

"No they're not! If you actually knew them, you'd realise that they are both quite smart."

"Then why isn't Weasley doing N.E.W.T. Potions then?"

"I don't honestly know about that one. He and Harry worked together all the time and Harry made it and Ron didn't."

"Yes, much to my great disappointment."

"Malfoy, noone told you you had to be civil to them, did they?"

"Thank God. It's bad enough I have to live in this ridiculous World let alone be kind to those two."

"What did you say?!"

_Uh oh._

Draco hesitated and looked earnestly at Granger. "Look Granger, both you and I know that this is not something we wanted to have thrown on us. It's not like we were friends before this incident, is it?"

She glared for a while before responding. "But it's happened, so put up with it!"

"You don't know what it's like to be tossed into a place with absolutely no idea what to expect or how to act in it!"

"Have you forgotten that I was a Muggle up until six years ago?!"

"But even you knew a little of what to expect when you entered into my world!"

"It's still no different to the position you're in now! I made sure I knew what to expect so I was prepared for it!"

"But things are much easier to adapt to in my world! Everyone was at the same level magic-wise, so you didn't have to catch up on anything! This," he gestured to the room around him, "this is an entirely different thing to me, and what's more, I'm the only one who knows stuff-all about it! Even you were not the only one in that position at Hogwarts in first year!" He narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "SO HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES ME FEEL?!"

Granger was visibly shocked at Draco's raised tone of voice, and needless to say, so was he. He wasn't expecting to get so worked up over the issue, but still clearly had some built up anger over the whole thing. He sat at the table fuming, glass of juice gripped tightly in his hand and shaking from his anger. His yoghurt was half finished and for the moment forgotten and his usually pale face was flushed pink with rage. Crookshanks, who had just wandered into the kitchen for some attention, fled from the scene in a rush, bumping his already squashed face into the door on his way out.

Granger sat stock still, obviously unable to think of anything to say. Suddenly her own bowl of yoghurt and fruit seemed the most interesting thing in the room at that moment.

She sighed. "I don't know what to say, Malfoy. Clearly no matter what I say you aren't going to think any better of it, so I just won't say anything."

"My God, Granger, that's another first! Let's see how long this lasts, shall we?!"

Draco could sit there no longer, nor could he eat another bite of his lunch. He grabbed his bowl of half-eaten yoghurt and fruit and emptied the contents into the bin then sat both his bowl and glass (rather roughly) on the sink. Glaring at Granger in contempt on his way past, he stormed out of the kitchen.

He didn't know what to do. He couldn't write a letter to his mother nor go for a fly on his broom, seeing as it was midday. Reading was out of the question in his state, so that left his options quite limited.

His room provided a small sanctuary to vent his frustrations, and he sat on the bed with his hands on his face, and went over his thoughts.

_How could the conversation change so quickly into an argument like that? Everything was fine, well as good as it will ever be with Granger, but still, it was tolerable! What the Hell happened?_

Going back over the conversation, suddenly Draco realised in annoyance the reason the argument had started was because of him. This little fact wrecked havoc on his already angry and annoyed state of mind, and all he could do was wish the entire thing never happened. He hated being the blame for things but knew he could not pin it onto someone else. This was his argument to fix and that he would do. Only not right away. His Slytherin pride was too great to allow him to do so straight after. Perhaps if he was sorted into Hufflepuff or even Gryffindor he may have been able to do so immediately. _God, don't think like that! There's perfectly nothing wrong with Slytherins, not all of them ended up Dark Lord supporters._ No, it would have to wait 'till later.

Draco laid back onto his bed, wondering what to do to fill in the rest of the day. His rage had still not subsided, but it was suppressed a little after the realisation that it was he who started the dispute. He felt pretty awful after the things he said about the Muggle world. He knew that they were his true feelings but also that it was not the Grangers' fault that things were like this. Granger herself seemed to be trying to make his stay easier without being overbearing, so it was only fair that he should do the same. It wasn't easy on anyone but by being tolerable, the time would pass better.

Suddenly Draco realised what Granger had asked him at the kitchen table before any of this happened, about whether she could borrow one of his books. He knew it would be a while before he could actually apologise to Granger, but by lending her one of his books it showed that at least he could keep his word. He walked over to his suitcase and rifled through it to find the rest of the books he had brought with him. There was a biography on the great Wanderers' chaser Vladimir Driekov, the Russian-born wonder who held the record for most points scored in a season. Somehow he did not think that Granger would be quite interested in that book. Another title caught his attention. _The Chronicles of the Tides. Hmm, she might enjoy reading about wizarding pirates, who knows?_ He left that in the 'maybe' pile. Other books were looked at and thrown in either the 'maybe' or 'suppose not' pile, until the last book he had seemed the right choice.

_Changes_. It was about a young witch who had an accident with a time turner and met up with her ever-angry next door neighbour when he was only young. Mistaking her as someone who has just recently moved to his town, he develops a strong feeling towards her. She discovers why he became like how he was in her normal time, as it becomes apparent that his childhood was not one of ease or happiness. Things start to become more bearable for him until she becomes caught up with the Battle at Five Rivers, and gets sent forward to her own time. Only after ten more years do they finally accept that they do in fact want to remain together. It was what you could call a romantic/drama/war novel, not one typically associated with Draco Malfoy but the aspect of the Time-Turner appealed to him. He had always been fascinated with the way that the gismos worked, especially the 'rules' associated with them. So it wasn't the story that truly interested him but the science that it was based on. Although the story he thought, would no doubt appeal to Granger.

Draco picked it up and walked out of his room. He could again hear music being played in Granger's room, this time it was much more mellow. She really did have a broad taste in music it seemed, because whatever was being played now was hardly audible and completely different to the hard-core metal sound that was being played yesterday. It was only that he had exited his own room that he could hear it. He continued along the landing until he reached Granger's room.

He was about to knock on the door when he suddenly froze. He was completely unsure of what he would say if Granger opened the door and he was not about to put himself into that position. Instead, he placed the book just in front of the door for her to discover upon leaving the room.

Contented that he actually did something to defuse the situation, Draco settled back into his own room and picked up his own book to read.

* * *

**Comments:**

Malfoy's reference to Ron as a spider - Since Ron is quite tall, I can imagine him being quite lean and lanky. 'Spider' is of course a nickname for people of this description.

"Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson - My beta thought that Hermione needed to perhaps read this essay, so here it is... ;-)

_Changes -_ This is based on a Severus/Hermione fic called 'Lost' by Venus DeMilo. Same deal, Hermione has an accident after detention with Snape, and gets sent back in time of the Marauders. She falls in love with a teenage Snape, who is only a shadow of what he is like as a teacher, and she accepts that she has to remain back in that time forever. That is until an incident where she is sent back to her own time.


	11. Apology

Well, finally I have Chapter 11 up! So tis all good in the world at least. This chapter was Beta'ed by my faithful beta, Puzzlette, so thank you Puzzlette! Your comments were well-noted and many changes were made after reading them.

Now I can finally get to responding to comments that I didn't get to last time.

**lollylover: **I see your point in that they doa lot of what you wrote but the thing is, I've tried desperately hard not to get OOC with eitherDraco or Hermione. The thing is, they are enemies first and foremost and to suddenly have to spend time in the same house 24-7 would really throw a spanner in their routines.Being who they are, they are bothheadstrong characters in their own way which would create friction b/w the two. My priority when writing this story was to try and write something that would stay fairly true to form for both characters. I really hope you stay with this story, there is still a great deal to happen between the two as well as other minor characters that has really only been touched on in previous chapters. Unfortunately the next two chapters (11 and 12) will be perhaps similar to previous ones, but chapter 13ups the storyline considerably. As I said though, any criticism is constructive and I'm glad you were honest...

To everyone else who reviewed, once again thank you and I look forward to your opinions of the next few chapters.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Apology**

Why_ did I expect that he might change?_

Hermione was sitting in her room, once more stewing over her last confrontation with Malfoy. It was hard to believe that someone could cause so much fury within her, yet it had just happened. Crookshanks was sitting on her bed beside her, purring contentedly at being scratched under the chin.

"Oh Crookshanks, what _is_ wrong with him, or me for that matter?" Hermione asked him.

Crookshanks didn't answer, of course; instead he just looked at her and nuzzled closer to her hand.

Hermione had sat on her bed for a good couple of hours listening to Pulp and talking to Crookshanks. She had filled her diary considerably during the last couple of days, and thought that she should give it a rest for a day. Which was why she was sitting with Crookshanks mulling over the last dispute with Malfoy.

By this stage, she had had enough. What she needed was chocolate, and lots of it. She shifted Crookshanks off of her and rose from her bed. Without bothering to turn the stereo off, she headed straight for the door.

As she stepped through the door jam, her foot kicked at something lying on the ground.

_That's funny, I don't remember anything being outside my door._

Looking down at the item she had just kicked, Hermione was surprised to see that it was a book; she was even more shocked to note that it was not one that she was familiar with. It was obviously a classic, judging by the worn leather cover. A lot of the Grangers' books were the same, having been kept in the family for some generations, but this one seemed to be different. She stared at the title.

_Changes. I've never seen that title before._

She flipped to the inside page so as to read the blurb.

"_It's funny how much one simple Time-Turner can cause great problems in life…"_

_Obviously, _Hermione thought,_ otherwise they wouldn't be kept in the Department of Mysteries._

"… _which was something that 17 year-old Gretal Freeman discovered after a dangerous experiment involving her father's own Time Turner. In the year 1934, she is a final-year student at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, dreaming of an apprenticeship in Transfiguration upon returning to her home-town of Bristol. The only person that stands in her way is the Transfiguration Master himself, her grouchy yet brilliant next door neighbour, Professor Thamyris__ Milton. _

_After her unfortunate accident, she is sent back to the time two years before she was born and mistaken by a much younger Thamyris as a traveller to the village. The two teenagers form an unlikely bond until fate develops other ideas. Gretal becomes mixed up in the on-going Battle at Five Rivers and is thrown forward into her own time. Caught between two worlds, she struggles to cope with her feelings toward the once-again older man as well as the loss of her old friends." I want to read that…_

Hermione had to stop and think. _Wow. Thank God nothing like that ever happened during my third year. How can you go back further than a few hours though? I guess that's why it's a fiction._

Something caught her sight as she went to close the book. Located on the inside cover of the book was a name written in elegant Copperplate – Narcissa Daphne Black.2

_Malfoy's mother._

It finally hit home that it was Malfoy who had laid the book outside of her door. Hermione took the action as it was implied, ie. an apology of sorts. She could not describe how much this little action made her feel better. It had obviously taken a lot of courage on his part to admit that he was sorry, enhanced by the fact that he was a Slytherin apologising to a Gryffindor. House prejudices shouldn't be that much of a concern, yet for some reason the Slytherins and Gryffindors felt that they could not associate with each other. In fact, the Slytherins and the rest of the houses full-stop felt that they could not mingle.

Still, here was Malfoy acknowledging that he was at least partly to blame for the argument. Hermione felt inclined to run out of her door and thank him wholeheartedly, but soon remembered that Malfoy would be very swift to dismiss it as nothing and think of her as annoying once more. She chose instead to wait until the right moment to bring it up.

Forgetting her urge for chocolate, she took the book downstairs and outside into the garden, to the seat overlooking the fishpond. Luckily it was unoccupied this time. It had, in fact, been one of Hermione's favourite spots to read in previous summers and holidays, and she was a bit annoyed that it had been taken the last couple of days. During these days, she did not wish to disturb the occupier of the seat, thinking that it was probably best to leave him in peace. Instead she had to settle for the hammock hanging from the big cypress tree in the corner of the front garden.

Reading the blurb again, Hermione felt even more desire to read the book, thinking it a way of confirming the dangers of misused Time-Turners. Besides that, it sounded interesting. A good romance novel was always a breath of fresh air but they were so rare that she usually had to settle for her other favourite genres: thrillers, fantasies and adventure.

She must have been reading for over two hours, because she suddenly realised that her parents' BMW was coming up the driveway and it was starting to become dark.

_Geez, how long have I been reading for?_

Going back inside, Hermione thought that perhaps dinner time would be an okay time to approach Malfoy about his apology. That was not the case. When dinner time came around, Malfoy blankly refused to look in her direction and only answered her parents' questions with polite but short answers. Afterwards, he quickly stole back upstairs and out of sight.

Sighing, Hermione cleaned up the dishes and the rest of the kitchen and exited the room.

Just as she was about to go up the stairs, her father called, "Hermione, do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, sure."

She went into the loungeroom where Robert was sitting at his big easy-chair.

"May I ask why Draco was so quiet at the dinner table tonight?" he asked.

"Oh look Dad, we had a bit of an argument this afternoon. It was nothing though, and it sorted itself out in the end."

"That doesn't explain his sudden shyness."

"Well, the thing is he apologised, and he isn't usually the sort to."

"Ah, I see. Very well, I'll leave it be then if you say that everything's fine."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome, Hermione. Are you off to your room too?"

"Yeah, I have a really interesting book I want to finish reading."

Robert smiled. "Why does that not surprise me? Okay then. Well, perhaps I should say goodnight if I don't see you before then."

"You too, Dad. Goodnight."

Hermione went upstairs and picked up in the book where she left it. She had just got up to the part where Gretal went back in time and met up with a much younger Thamyris. Soon, however, she was feeling very tired and resolved to go to bed.

After getting ready, she sank into her covers with Crookshanks at her feet and drifted off to sleep.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

The time to confront Malfoy on the previous day's incident never seemed to come for Hermione. She had gone down for breakfast to see that his plate and glass were already placed neatly on the sink, and the place where he sat at the table had been wiped down and left clean. She sighed. It was obvious that he was bound to ignore her as well as he could to avoid any sort of embarrassment.

_Why are boys so humiliated when it comes to apologising? Slytherin boys especially? They are far too busy trying to be macho to accept that saying 'sorry' is a fact of life._

At lunch time Malfoy somehow managed to evade her again. _Jesus Christ, what the Hell is he doing?_ Hermione had waited for over an hour for the flaxen-haired teenager to appear in the kitchen, to no avail.

_God! He is so stubborn! That's it. I don't care what he's doing; I'll catch him in the loo if I have to. This cannot go on for any longer._

Flying out the back door, she ran to the fishpond only to find that the usually-occupied seat was empty. Furious, she raced back inside and stormed up to his room.

"Malfoy!" she shouted as she banged on the door. "Open up this instant!"

There was a brief pause where she thought she heard footsteps but they quickly faded.

"Malfoy!" she yelled again.

"Jesus, Granger!" Malfoy's surprised voice sounded beside her. She jumped a mile and nearly fell over in fright.

She looked up at him to see his pale face looking down at her in alarm, mouth slightly open.

"Where were you!" she demanded, forgetting about her shock for a time and remembering why she was there.

"I was in the toilet, if you must know (_Geez that's lucky, I was only just saying I'd go in there if I had to_), although I'm not about to give details as to why I was in there. You are smart enough to figure that one out on your own. Why all the racket?"

"Why all the racket?" she repeated. "You've been avoiding me, I know it!"

Malfoy's face went slightly pink. "I haven't."

"You are such a poor liar, Malfoy! Your face is giving you away. Why have you been avoiding like the plague?"

"Like the what?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter, but can you please stop changing the subject and answer the question?"

"You want me to stop answering the question? Granger, you're confusing me."

"UGH! You are driving me insane! I'm asking you to stop changing the subject _so that you can answer the question!_ Got it?"

"I got it before Granger, I just like getting a rise out of you." He smiled and quirked one eyebrow at her.

Hermione could feel the blood literally boiling inside her.

_AAAAAAHHHH! How is it possible for someone to annoy the absolute living snot out of someone else so much?_

Hermione was determined to not let Malfoy see just how angry he made her but she was struggling to do so. She ploughed on, resolving to get an answer out of him.

"Can you just tell me then?"

He looked away, looking slightly disgusted. Or at least that's what she assumed.

"Look, I was embarrassed, that's why!" his voice matched hers. Suddenly, he blushed bright red. Hermione had never seen him with so much colour in his face.

He quickly turned on his heel. "I'm getting something to eat," he drawled.

"Malfoy, get back here!"

Hermione was surprised at her own boldness, obviously so was Malfoy. He turned back around and regarded her with creased brow and wonder covering his face, again forming an 'O' of surprise with his mouth.

She didn't falter.

"Why were you embarrassed?"

"Why do you think?"

"To be quite honest, I really don't know."

"Come on, Granger. I would have thought you of all people should know."

"Why 'me of all people'?"

"You aren't stupid, you know that, so don't keep making me say how smart you are. It's killing me."

Hermione snorted. "Fine then, but honestly, I'm only guessing as to why you avoided me."

"Enlighten me."

"You are male and – "

"Really? God, seventeen years and I didn't even know."

"Malfoy, let me finish!"

"Fine."

"Number one, you are male so that means you try to act all macho and tough. Number two, you are a Slytherin and _they_ usually don't admit to anything. Unfortunately for you, you have gone against both those things."

Malfoy looked away again, this time in embarrassment.

"Okay, you got it in one. Happy now! You got the answer you were looking for; now leave me to my peace!"

"No! For God's sake Malfoy, you shouldn't have to be embarrassed by admitting that you were wrong. It happens! Move on! Geez, even Dumbledore admits he's been wrong more than once!"

Malfoy snorted. "Hardly, when has he ever been wrong?"

Hermione looked at him in wonder. "I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't really, but not for the same reasons as you might think. Obviously you think that I don't like him for the same reasons as my father, yes?" Hermione nodded in shock. _Damn him, was it that obvious? I guess so._ Malfoy continued. "_He_ doesn't like Dumbledore because he's what's kept the Dark Lord from taking over the Wizarding World. _I_ on the other hand don't like him because I know he's always right, especially now. Not to mention the fact that you can't get anything past him."

Hermione suppressed a smile. "Really? I didn't think you thought like that."

"Surprised you, have I Granger? I told you, I know a lot more than you think."

"I, I guess so."

There was a slight pause which both of them felt. Finally it was Malfoy once again to break it.

"But I am shocked, when is he ever wrong?"

"Who, Dumbledore?"

"Yeah."

"You must have known about Barty Crouch Jr. posing as Mad-Eye Moody in fourth year."

Malfoy looked at her in alarm. This fact had obviously ruffled him.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Don't tell me you didn't. He came to surface at the Quidditch World Cup. Didn't you see the Dark Mark in the sky?"

"_Morsmordre_," Malfoy whispered in thought. He shook himself from his reverie. "I did, it was the only time I saw my father worried. But how did he do it? I thought he was in Azkaban."

"He was but his mother was quite ill, so she entered the prison on one visit but stayed in there. Crouch Jr. drunk a mixture of Polyjuice Potion with his mother's hair in it and exited as her. He was kept under Imperio for the entire time by Crouch Sr., but eventually fought it enough at the Quidditch World Cup to steal a wand and cast the Dark Mark into the sky. He escaped and ended up taking Moody hostage and posed as him the entire year."

"How the hell did he do that?"

"Again with Polyjuice Potion. You know the hip flask that he kept carrying around? That was filled with it."

Malfoy looked at her skeptically. "How do you know all this?"

"Dumbledore told me after what happened in the Final Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And by the way, it was Crouch Jr. who put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire."

"Pfft! I always wondered how Potter managed to make it into that tournament. He seemed to enjoy that it nonetheless, didn't he? Up until Diggory was killed anyway."

Hermione couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"How can you even _think_ that?" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Are you aware of what danger Harry was in to even bring Cedric's body back again?"

"No. All I know is that the Dark Lord killed Diggory and somehow Potter escaped."

"Well that's all the information you need! God Malfoy, you of all people should know how dangerous that, that, _thing_ is! Anyway, Harry never told me, all I know was that it must have been very traumatic to have witnessed it."

Malfoy sighed. "I see your point, Granger. And you are right; I of all people should know how dangerous he is. The bastard really is a madman. I don't know why my father ever went after him."

Hermione looked at him in slight wonder. He looked resigned, his eyes showing neither malice nor rage, only worry.

"No one does, Malfoy."

There was another silence where no one could think of anything else to say.

_Poor Malfoy. I really don't know what it must be like for him to be the son of a Death Eater and not want to follow the same path._

"Have you had lunch yet?" Hermione broke the tension.

Malfoy looked at her. "No, I probably better do that; I was starting to get hungry."

"I think Mum bought some cold meat and more tomatoes. I'm afraid it's sandwiches again. Although she assures me that she'll buy some pastry to make a pie for tomorrow."

"Sandwiches are fine, but I thought you were all health freaks?"

Hermione quirked an eyebrow at that. "No, we're not 'health freaks' 24-7. Every now and then Mum will get something that has a bit more substance to it. But remember, they are dentists so they are pretty fastidious when it comes to that sort of thing."

Malfoy snorted. "I'm yet to figure that whole 'dentist' thing out."

"There's really nothing to figure out," Hermione said before she could stop herself.

"Maybe another time, Granger. I'm a bit spent at the moment."

He looked it too. Hermione decided to let it rest.

"I really need some lunch." Malfoy headed down the stairs.

"Yeah, good thing," she responded, and was surprised to see Malfoy nod in confirmation.

_Oh damn, I never told him that I was reading his book. That's the reason he was so embarrassed in the first place. Oh well, don't push it, Hermione._

She headed back into her room to continue reading the book her lent her.

* * *

**Comments:**

Thamyris Milton from "Changes"– taken from Greek Mythology. Thamyris was an ancient Thracian bard, who challenged the Muses to a trial of skill and being overcome in the contest, was deprived by them of his sight. Milton alludes to him with other blind bards, when speaking of his own blindness, "Paradise Lost". I got the name not based on background this time, but just because I thought the name sounded cool.

Narcissa Daphne Black – also taken from Greek Mythology. Daphne was the first love of Apollo, but only because of Cupid. The two males had had a dispute when Apollo caught Cupid playing with bows and arrows and thought him not worthy of it as Cupid was only a boy. Cupid retaliated by firing two different arrows (of different make) at Apollo and Daphne (a nymph who was the daughter of the river god Peneus). The arrow that struck Apollo made him besotted by Daphne but the one that was fired into Daphne made her dislike Apollo. The more Daphne ran away, the more Apollo fell in love with her. Out of fear, she pleads with Peneus to change her form so she does not have to marry Apollo. He turns her into a Laurel tree. Apollo resigns to the fact that he cannot have her as a wife, so vows that her tree form will remain beautiful and green forever. Daphne accepts this as what he intended it to be, ie. a kind promise, and bows her limbs in acknowledgment. There are parallels to Narcissa's story, but that is all I will say. Obviously she was not turned into a tree… ;-)

Sorry it's taken so long to get this uploaded. Probs with uploading it at work and am now back at uni so all is well! Should be more updates soon, but I've to write more chappies as well. Toodles!


	12. Discussions In The Study

Well, I hope this was uploaded quicker than last time - I think it was. Once again this chapter was beta'ed by Puzzlette (Thank you! I made quite a few changes to things that were perhaps incorrect or OOC). I will need to write some more chapters soon though because I have 3 complete ones and only a storyline in my head. But it's pretty indepth so hopefully they will churn out relatively quickly.

For a reminder, I do not own anything but the plot.

**Now for comments:**

chica91: I had to smile at your little explanation afterchapter 11; but it's good to see that you can wait for chappies... ;-) I still have lots of work to do at uni so they may not be uploaded as readily as I would like. For the record, I wasn't sure whether to make this a HrD fic when I first started out but it will be one, I'm pretty sure. Because this is primarily a HrD fic, Harry and Ron only play secondary characters throughout, occasionally popping up. If this disappoints anyone, I'm sorry, but I really wanted to write a fic like this where Hermione was away from their (bad) influences. Just like it was good to see Draco away from Crabbe and Goyle.

lollylover: Point well taken! Hermione was meant to hear from the other two a little earlier although I got carried away with the idea of Hermione and Draco getting used to each other. Then I wasn't sure how to slot it in in later chapters. But after reading that something was needed, I was able to make it my new chapter 13, so there are now three complete chapters that I can upload (as I mentioned above). I found that it tied in the two later chapters much easier. Previously, the tempo and storyline changed dramatically without really tying together. Now, chapter 13 ties the two scenarios together as well as ups the story. So thanks for making me get my arse into gear:-)

JayJay216: I agree with you completely. That was the reason why I starting writing this fic in the first place; I was sick of seeing fics where all of a sudden, out of nowhere, they fall in love. It certainly doesn't reflect real life; something I thought JK Rowling has managed with her stories even though the magic world doesn't exist (but how cool would it be if it did!). So it's good to hear that it's going fairly slow. I hope it doesn't move too quickly then in later chapters. But that's all I will say...

To everyone else, I hope this was uploaded quick enough:-) Hopefully the next chapter will be soon as well. Will havta see in terms of how quickly I get later chapters written.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Discussions in the Study**

After his mid-afternoon lunch Draco went back to his room, picked up his book, and continued to read. It seemed quite ridiculous to have been so humiliated at the thought of an apology. Afterwards, felt strangely better yet wasn't quite sure why, considering he had just admitted to being embarrassed in front of a girl. He had to hand it to Granger though; her Gryffindor courage had really shone through during that last discussion. He was shocked when she had demanded that he tell her why he was avoiding her, even more so when she had told him to "get back here" in quite a menacing tone. He had to admit, he felt a bit frightened at her sudden boldness. That was a scary thought in itself. Draco wasn't afraid of much, yet he had felt the need to obey Granger then.

_No wonder Potty and the Weasel keep relatively quiet in her presence._

Then she revealed that Barty Crouch Jr. had been Mad-Eye Moody in their fifth year. _That_, he conceded, was perhaps the scariest thought of the lot. Well, besides being Voldemort's number one target, facing the wrath of his father, being scratched nearly to death by that bloody hippogriff back in third year, Snape on a particularly bad day, his mother's voice when she demanded he do as he was told (and Granger it seemed, as she had just appeared before). So the thought wasn't incredibly scary after all, now that he thought about it, but it _was_ strange. It certainly did explain a lot. Draco didn't want to think of what that man must have been thinking as he placed the Muggle-borns under Imperio during the first lesson of Defence Against the Dark Arts. He shuddered at the thought.

He had been reading almost absent-mindedly for the last few pages. He hadn't even taken in who the mastermind of the story was. Annoyed, Draco flicked back the few pages and started to read them again. At last he finished his book, identifying the mastermind in the meantime.

_Wow, had me guessing. Who would have thought that it was the Minister of Magic himself__? No wonder it divided the community._

_Damn, now I need another book._

He was lucky that the last confrontation had been 'pleasant'. It hadn't been particularly fantastic, but it hadn't been horrible either. He knew Granger was in her room; she had headed that way after he had left to get some lunch. He put his book back into his bag and headed out of his room.

Draco wasn't quite sure how to do this. There was that same feeling of shyness that had overcome him the night before at the dinner table. That was the reason why he had avoided Granger that morning and ignored her last night. He didn't want to try to talk to her for fear that he would stuff up anything he wanted to say after he had 'apologised' to her.

_Come on Draco, you can face your father's steely drawl yet you can't knock on Granger's door? What's the matter with you? Where's that Slytherin pride you seem to have in abundance?_

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on Granger's door three times.

"Yes?" she said as she opened it.

He could easily see inside her room. Without being too obvious, Draco looked in. It was perhaps a little bit bigger than his, but only marginally. Surprisingly, the entire room was designed in blue. It seemed that Granger had a lot of secrets of her own. Of course he wasn't expecting her to like pink or purple, but blue wasn't what he was expecting. It seemed a bit boyish for her to like it. Yet her room looked nothing of the sort, decorated in all shades of the colour. Her Queen-sized mahogany bed had a patchwork-looking doona on it with matching pillows. A matching desk was located to the side of the large bay window, and had all matter of books strewn around it. _Typical_. Then again Draco couldn't talk; his was much the same. A fireplace stood opposite her bed, just like in his room, and beside the bed had wooden tables, again just like in his room. There were a few differences; the lamps had navy blue shades covering them and there were some photos sitting on the tables. A large print of the Mycanos scenery in Greece hung on the wall above her bed and there were funny-looking box things mounted in each corner of the room. _What are they meant to do?_

He quickly looked back at Granger, who rolled her eyes and said, "Did you want a better look?"

He scowled at her, only amusing her more.

"I need you to show me where the study is. I've finished my book," he said bluntly.

"Oh good, can I have a lend of it after I've finished your other one?"

Draco was taken aback. "You've been reading 'Changes'?" He should have guessed she'd start it straight away.

"Yes, it's an interesting read."

"Granger, you think anything's an interesting read."

She snorted and leaned against the doorjamb. "You didn't do Divination, did you?"

He scoffed. It was obvious she was as sceptical about Divination as he was.

"True, but that's hardly a magical discipline, is it?"

"No, no it's not. But truly, I've read other Wizarding texts and they don't seem as good as this one."

"Oh? What other ones are you talking about?"

"Well there was 'Flying with the Cannons'," she smiled.

Draco snorted. "Jesus Granger, give us some credit. That's not even a novel and what's more, it's a mediocre non-fiction. The man who wrote it believes that the Cannons will win the League Final every year. Clearly, that is not the case."

"True, but don't tell Ron that it's mediocre."

"I don't intend to. Is that it then?" Draco was disgusted. Granger was basing centuries of Wizarding texts on one measly behind-the-scenes look at the worst Quidditch team of the 20th century.

"No, I was only doing it to get a rise out of you." She grinned even more.

_Damn you Granger. You are a lot cheekier than you let on._

He smirked back, finding the balustrade to lean against. "Unfortunately it worked. Well, what about the others?"

"The first one I read seemed alright until now. It was called "Les Fiançees des Marseilles."

_Hmm, not a bad accent. You've obviously been to France, Granger._

"Huh, do you speak French?"

"No, I've only spent a summer there a few years ago. Why is that?" she looked at him in curiosity.

Draco looked up at the ceiling. "No reason," he replied.

Granger continued to look at him funny. He ignored it and continued on.

"If you couldn't speak French, then how could you read it?"

"It was a translation."

"That's why then, the original is much better. But it's not a bad book, if I say so."

"Unfortunately I can't read the original, so I will have to settle for the translation. Hang on, you said the other day that you weren't really sure on what 'dentes' was, so how can you read French so well?"

"It's easier to read French than to speak it. It's the same for any language if it's not your native tongue. I can read French quite easily, but to suddenly have to think in it is much more difficult. I can speak it though; it just doesn't come as naturally."

"Oh."

Draco wanted the conversation to continue. It was as interesting as it had been the day before.

"Have you read any other texts? I mean there are quite a few."

"Well, I read 'The Grim' last summer. It scared the living death out of me, no pun intended, so I guess it was okay."

"Yeah I've read that. It is a bit scary if you are reading it late at night."

"Can you repeat that? Did you just say you get scared? Malfoy, I didn't know that was possible!"

It was Draco's turn to blush at the admission of something that seemed impossible.

"Fine Granger, we're even. You become perplexed, I get scared. Can we move on?"

"Okay, well if you like horror, then I can think of a couple you might like to read, that is if you haven't already read them. Follow me then."

Granger led the way downstairs and along the hall until they reached a room that Draco had only briefly seen on his first night. It was about a twenty-five feet side square, with shelves lining three walls and a large oak desk in the middle of it with two leather armchairs on either side of the door. Another fireplace was located between two sets of shelves and the window opposite the door was marginally smaller than the ones in the bedrooms. More shelves bordered the window frame. Books of all shapes and sizes were housed in each of the shelves, seemingly in no particular order.

"There's only Muggle titles in here, Dad hasn't really become used to the whole 'pictures moving' thing yet. But there's a few you might recognise." Granger said as she started to move towards a set of shelves.

"I doubt that."

She turned back around. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not familiar with Muggle texts."

Granger eyed him curiously. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"You're forgetting who my father is, Granger."

Granger flushed scarlet. "Oh of course, I'd honestly forgotten about that. God, I'm sorry."

_Again with the strange apologies._

"You don't need to be. My father is who he is, and he isn't going to change his views for anyone."

"No, I guess not."

Granger looked astounded, but carried on.

"Well, there should be lots in here to interest you then. I'm sure you'll find something."

She walked up to the set of shelves she had been making her way to and took a couple books down.

_Just as well she knows where to go._

"Here," she said as she handed a couple of books to him. "That's a start. I won't give you only horror stories, because I'm sure you'll be fighting nightmares after that first one you read."

Draco read the titles. _Dracula, Frankenstein, yes they seem strange titles._

"I'll give you a couple of classics as well. Well, the ones you have in your hands are classics, but I'm talking about others."

She found some more books on one of the lower shelves and handed it to him.

"Do you like plays?" she asked.

"Er, I haven't really read many, although I've attended a few," he answered.

"This one's a comedy by a playwright called William Shakespeare." Granger still seemed to be in disbelief as she handed them to him, judging by the look of wonder on her face, but didn't say anything.

_Twelfth Night. I wonder what that's about?_

"And that book you were reading, that was pretty much a thriller, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I'd say so."

"Well I have some more here if you want." She seemed to resolve something in her head. "Actually, I'll wait for those. I have one here that I think you'll enjoy. It's about a British spy. Dad loves these books; admittedly they aren't bad. There's thirteen in all."

Draco looked at her in shock.

"I won't give you the lot, don't worry. But if you like one, they are here if you want to read the rest. It takes perhaps a day or two to solidly read them."

The cover of the book she had just handed to him gave nothing away. It was called 'Casino Royale', and aside from the author's name (_Ian Fleming, sounds very ordinary_) there was nothing else on the page.

"Those books are like thrillers. They are full of espionage and double-crossings. They are incredibly famous in the Muggle world, and I wouldn't doubt that just about everyone has heard the name James Bond, 007."

"I haven't."

"That's different, you're a wizard. But I mean in the Muggle world. All of the books have been made into films, although they are about twenty years old. They are very cheesy but still good to watch."

"Films? Sorry Granger, but I'm not familiar with that term."

"Oh damn, we're back there again. Forget about them for the moment; I'll show you the stereo and the television soon if you want. There's usually nothing on telly much during the day, except those awful daytime soaps that have no decent plot whatsoever."

"You will this time?"

"Yes I will. I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you didn't seem too thrilled about the prospect of it."

"You may as well know as much about the Muggle world as possible. The more you can fit in, the less likely someone is going to accuse you of being something that they are unable to explain."

"Okay, so soon I will finally learn what this televi-shon is."

"Tel-le-vi-zhen, for pronunciations' sake."

"You couldn't resist, could you?" Draco said with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

Granger glared. "I won't do it anymore then. But if you can't say the bloody thing properly then there is not much use in me showing you, is there?"

_She has a point. Damn Granger! She's just as bad as Dumbledore._

Draco rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. "Fine. You'll show me what it is then."

"Good. So do you think you have enough books then?"

"I should say so. These will last me about a week, I think."

"Okay, you know where to come for more. Feel free to have a look at anything in here, not just the novels."

"Alright, if my curiosity gets the better of me, that is."

"It might." Granger paused for a moment and looked up at the clock on the wall beside the door. "I still have a bit of time. Well, I don't know about you but I'm off to finish that book."

Granger left the study in a mass of bushy curls and left Draco in peace. He thought about going back up to his room, but seeing as he hadn't really been in the study until now, decided against it. Besides, the leather couches reminded him of the Slytherin Common Room, leaving him with a sense of familiarity. It was peaceful as well; the shelves containing the books sound-proofing the walls enough to prevent any major outside noises coming in.

He settled himself into one of the chairs and started to read the Dracula novel.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Dinner-time passed much more pleasantly that night. It was relatively quiet but with none of the awkwardness of the previous night. Robert took notice of this and saw that the two young teenagers sitting in front of him must have gotten over what was previously bothering them.

Afterwards, Hermione cleared up and went back to her room. She'd noticed after eating that Malfoy didn't ascend the stairs; instead he wandered back into the study. Thinking about this, she remembered that he came from that direction before dinner.

_I wonder what he started to read. I must ask him._

She went back downstairs and walked along to the study. She could see the door open and a lamp light turned on somewhere. Standing in front of the door, Malfoy was not visible at the desk, so she concluded that he must have been sitting in one of the leather chairs. But which one?

She walked through the door and turned to the left, guessing that's where he was. Malfoy fell back into the chair, his face white with shock.

"For Christ's sake, Granger! Give me some warning before you do that!"

She was stunned at his obviously frightened form.

"Did I scare you?" she asked.

"Scare me? Shit, I nearly died! What the Hell do you want anyway?"

"Oh, er – "

She had actually forgotten precisely why she was there. His reaction was not what she was prepared for. Malfoy sat there gaping at her.

Suddenly she remembered. "I was just wondering what book you started to read and what you thought of it."

"Is that it? Bloody Hell, I could have told you this some other time, surely."

"What's the matter?"

"I told you. You scared the shit out of me."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry."

"So you should be."

Malfoy's previously-white face had reverted back to its usual ivory colour but he still looked shaken.

_What got up his nose these last few minutes?_

"What book are you reading?" she asked again. "It's just that I don't normally get that reaction from you."

"I decided to start on Dracula. It seemed a different way to write a book. Normally they are all in one person's perspective so I thought that it might be much different from a range of perspectives."

Hermione giggled.

"What?" Malfoy asked, glaring.

"No wonder I disturbed you; that's the scariest book I've ever read."

"I've only got up to page 74 but it seems to have had the same affect on me."

"What's happened? I can't remember what part that is; it's been a year since I read it."

"Dracula has just turned to face Harker but as he was resting on the soil in the cellar."

"Oh yeah, I remember it all now." Hermione remembered the eeriness of the scenario and gave an involuntary shudder. "I read that part at about 11pm one night and, needless to say, it left me feeling worried about turning the light off."

"Thank you Granger. Now I have a restless night to look forward to."

"Oh you'll get over it, it's not that bad. Anyway, as I said I was just seeing what book you decided to read first."

Hermione went to leave the room but as she did so Malfoy called her.

"Granger?"

She turned back around to face him.

"The book's good." He looked back down at the book and kept reading.

Hermione left the room feeling ecstatic.

_Malfoy just admitted that he liked a Muggle text!_

She went back up to her room and read the book he lent her for a bit, and then decided to go to sleep. As she drifted off, the image of his interested face stayed with her and she couldn't help but smile at the thought of it.

* * *

**Comments:**

The mastermind of Draco's book - by utter chance I decided it was the MoM. I needed a suspect and I was going for a Mayor-type person (watch Police Academy 6 for more details). After I wrote "Minister of Magic", I realised that it co-incided with Harry Potter, with Cornelius Fudge himself being behind a lot of the goings on in the fifth book.

Hermione getting perplexed - this is in reference to the time that Hermione couldn't explain what the television and the stereo are in Chapter 8.

If you're familiar with Dracula, this was the single scariest scene in the book for me. Very reminiscent of that song "The Dead Eyes Opened" that came out ages ago. (Shudders) What Hermione says speaks for me. Not the best time of night to be reading a horror! But it's a good book if you don't mind reading horrors. I also recommend Frankenstein, tho I don't believe it to be a horror, rather a tragedy almost.


	13. Letter From Ron

Okay, just for you, seeing as you have been quite patient with my last few chapters, I have decided to put this one up much quicker than I normally would. This is also because I thought I would give my beta a break as well as myself, so it's probably more a question of me being lazy more than anything. Cos I normally then have to go over all the funny things and what-have-you - oh yeah, my beta has changed her name from Puzzlette to Qizzle so even though I've called her Puzzlette these last couple of chapters (I couldn't remember her new name and decided that it would be better safe than sorry), her name is Qizzle.

Also, cos I love uploading chapters. It's exciting! However, seeing as this hasn't been beta'ed (except for changes that I've made), let me know whether or not it seems believable or whatever cos before I get the next chapters uploaded, I may need to go over this one. So peeps, I wil require a bit of feedback from this chappy. You'll see perhaps why once reading it.

**Comments:**

**lollylover**: Not that I normally dedicate chappies to anyone, and without trying to sound too suck-arse (doesn't look like I need to try, it sounds like it is naturally occurring anyway...), this one's in your honour. I wrote this after the orginal chapter 13 and 14 because there was a definitive change in storyline b/w 12 and the old 13, without a real reason for it to be like that. There were also too many ill-fitting ends amongst it so I decided here would be where the changes were made. Hope it sounds alright...

**LadySerpent**: Just as well I had a quick squiz at your profile, otherwise I woulda thought AngelSerpent91 gave my story the flick... ;-) Man, I would not have had the guts to read Dracula at 11. I was still reading The Saddle Club and stuff like that.

**chica91**: Wow, your post means a heap... I can't say I agree wholeheartedly about not wanting a DHr pairing in the books, but that's just me! That's interesting though, I guess there are others out there that are vying for someone else for Hermione other than Draco. It makes for a good change, nonetheless.

**ashibabi:** Eating possums! That's a new one. I like your response as well... that'll learn them! I reckon Ron can be annoying as well, sorry to those who think differently! As you'll see in this chapter (quite obviously Ron plays a bit of a part in it) that I don't always like him either. In the books I think he is just as prejudiced as the Slytherins on occasions. The Weasleys don't talk about their cousin who is the accountant, Molly hounds Arthur for having the stitches in his leg (the Muggle form of healing wounds), as well as also hounding Hermione in the fourth book for supposedly going behind Harry's back with Victor (after reading the article in Witch Weekly). It seems it runs in the family. By the way, I'm from country Vic, but I'm studying in Melbs atm. If you wanna send me that fic of Draco, owl me via my email (found on my bio page) or leave the addy in another review. Either way, it'd be cool to read a DM/OC pairing.

To everyone else who reviewed, thanks for them! I love receiving them to find out how the story is going. Any questions, don't hesitate to drop a line - I'll be more than happy to respond.

Here is Chapter 13... :-)

* * *

**Chapter 13: Letter from Ron**

The next couple of days passed in rather the same fashion. Hermione was pleasantly surprised that Malfoy seemed to be enjoying reading the Muggle texts that she had lent him, as was she with the books that he had lent her. She had finished 'Changes' on the Friday and had started to read 'The Chronicles of the Tides'. Pirate stories weren't what she would normally be drawn to, although she did enjoy Peter Pan when she was younger. This particular story seemed to capture her attention because it was set in the Wizarding World instead of the Muggle World. Instead of sailing around the oceans on ships they flew by broomsticks.

At meal times Hermione was thrilled every time Malfoy made a mention of what part he was up to in the book _du jour_ and she found that she could talk to him and throw up some arguments about possible theories. They continued to keep their distances from one another but only because they were too busy to really spend any time aside from meal times. Hermione could sympathise; she knew what it was like to pick up an interesting book without realising that she was excluding herself from what was going on around her.

It was not like Malfoy was bluntly refusing to speak to her. She just knew that he would still find it difficult to talk to her and her family after having it drummed into him that Muggles were to be scorned upon. That was because Muggles accused the Wizarding population of all the wrongdoings in the world, despite such figureheads as Napoleon, Caesar and Hitler being non-magic themselves. Nonetheless, she could start to see a bit of a change in his attitude towards her family. It seemed that he was confused with how her father was treating him, like as if he had never received a kind word. Snape did stick up for him on a few occasions but that was more than likely to hide his own secrets from people such as Lucius. Draco never seemed to know how to take her father's words. Instead, he always looked as if the only thing from stopping him running out of the house or up to his room was his pride to stick it out. Even after Robert stopped talking, Malfoy rarely stayed where the others were but instead exited the room.

The thing was, Hermione could not have pictured the week to have gone more differently than if she planned it. She had honestly thought that Malfoy would try to make everything a living hell, seeing as he usually did at Hogwarts. But she had to admit that over the last year it seemed that he had matured somewhat. Well, more than what he was like before then, anyway. She realised that all of Malfoy's defences were almost shot to pieces in Dumbledore's office that day a couple of weeks ago and despite being quite headstrong, he was not strong enough to build them up to how he had them before this saga occurred. He also didn't have Crabbe and Goyle here either to defend him, which would make anyone a little less cocky in their absence.

Despite the week passing adequately on the Malfoy front, Hermione couldn't help but feel just a little annoyed that Harry and Ron hadn't contacted her. She knew that she was not meant to mention anything about Malfoy's stay with her in case the owl was intercepted but she thought that she would have at least received an owl from Mrs. Weasley or Ginny, wishing her a good summer. It looked as if noone really thought about how hard it could have been for her in the first couple of days. It had been hard and there were only her parents to talk to about it. Yet she didn't really want to bother them about it because she knew that they were going through the same thing, possibly moreso for the fact that they knew no magic if the occasion for its necessity arose.

It was much easier to forgive Harry since his summers were usually spent with the Dursley's (who rarely let him venture out regardless of his threats of magic against them). Ron, however, was a different matter. She had started to see some small things that really bothered her about him during their sixth year after it was apparent that he would not be learning N.E.W.T. level Potions with Harry or herself. It wasn't often but every now and then he would say something that would sound completely juvenile and lame considering it was none of their faults that he was not doing Potions. Come to think of it, Hermione realised that he'd started to become a bit detached after she had given him the flick. It wasn't noticeable with Harry around but when they were on their own, all of Ron's answers to her questions came out as a bit forced. She'd also caught him giving some of the boys scornful looks if they came up and spoke to her; Neville in particular. This really didn't do much for her at all.

Hermione sat up from the chair in the study that she was occupying and sighed. She couldn't have expected much more from him really. Ron would take a lot longer to mature than Harry or the other Gryffindor boys would. She couldn't even put it down to his background. He came from a loving family that a lot of people would kill for. Neville on the other hand had two parents that didn't recognise him and a grandmother who always seemed to put him down for being forgetful. Hermione had even known Ron to have a go at Neville for being so forgetful behind his back when he thought that no-one could hear him. He really could be quite conceited.

As if on cue, a sharp tapping was heard on the study window. Getting up and looking outside, Hermione saw Pig twittering excitedly and doing loop-the-loops in front of her when he realised she was coming closer. Smiling to herself, Hermione opened the window up for Pig and had to stand out of the way because Pig decided that he was coming in at a rate of knots. He crash-landed on the big wooden desk, knocking some papers as well as some pens to the floor.

"Pig!" Hermione exclaimed. "Do be more careful! Now, settle down, I need to undo the note from your leg."

It was a real struggle to remove the note from Pig's little 2 inch long legs because he was hopping madly on the spot. At last, Hermione got it off and moved back toward the chair.

Hermione opened the envelope that was sealed with a red 'W' – the Weasley's signature seal.

It read:

_Hey 'Mione,_

_How you going? How's your summer? Ours has been fantastic! Harry came over for a couple of days (yeah I know, I can't believe the Dursley's allowed it either) because Bill and Charlie came home and we have been playing Quidditch along with Fred and George. It was brilliant! Charlie still has his Seeker abilities and him and Harry had some good fights over the Snitch, you should have seen it!_

_I still can't believe they made You-Know-Who stay at your place. That arrogant git doesn't deserve a fighting chance. If he lays a finger on you, remember just give us an owl._

_Anyway, have a good rest of summer!_

_Love, Ron._

_PS. Harry says 'hi' and that he'll write when he can._

Receiving word from Ron or Harry should have consoled Hermione. Instead, it made her feel worse. Ron was certainly never good with tact, choosing to delve into his own holidays before getting into hers. It really looked as if he couldn't care a great deal what happened to her, so long as it wasn't anything too serious.

In particular, the part about that Malfoy 'didn't deserve a fighting chance' really got to her. Ron hadn't seen Malfoy's reaction in Dumbledore's office. He also didn't see how Malfoy was being civil at her place either. Ron (being Ron) was oblivious to what was in front of his nose during the best of times and if something was slightly awry his own prejudices covered up the truth in everything. No end of times he'd accused Snape of being evil, yet every time he was proven wrong. The past few days had shown Hermione that there was more to Malfoy than meets the eye. Unfortunately this was not something that she would be able to share with Ron because he would accuse her of being under the Imperius Curse.

Frustrated, Hermione found that she didn't feel like responding to Ron. Furthermore, it was now impossible to get back into her book because the letter had got her into a bad mood.

Leaving the study, she wondered if there was anything good on the telly. Hermione wandered into the loungeroom, picked up the remote control and switched the telly on. Being a Saturday, there really wasn't a lot on however there seemed to be an okay midday movie showing.

Not five minutes later, a voice cut her thoughts.

"What's that?"

She spun around from the couch to see Malfoy eyeing the telly with wonder and interest.

"This," she said, composing herself after her momentary scare, "is the television."

"Well," Malfoy straightened up. "Just as well I asked. Thanks for letting me know you were going to watch it, or would you prefer I knew nothing about it?" he said in a tone that Hermione couldn't decipher.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't bother to tell me you were going to use it. You simply sat your arse down in front of it without bothering to notify me."

_God, I don't need this._

"Well _Sir Malfoy_, would you like me to tell you every time I need to go to the loo as well? In my own house?" she asked sarcastically.

Malfoy scowled. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that you were going to explain what it was, that's all. If I'm to fit in, I should know about the Muggle World, or so you keep telling me." Malfoy sat on the arm of the couch and folded his arms. "It's just that you don't seem to be holding up your end of the bargain."

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine then. As I said, this is the television. What you are watching on the telly – that's a nickname for the television – is called a movie. The movie is like a captured play, for want of a better description."

She wasn't really in the best of humours to have to explain Muggle technology to Malfoy, however he seemed interested.

"To work the television you push that button there." She pointed to the power button on the remote. "To change channels you press these buttons, the 'up' and 'down' ones. For volume, push these ones, the plus and minus buttons. That's the simple version."

Hermione looked at Malfoy, who looked like he was struggling already with her explanation. He furrowed his brow; something that she noticed he did quite often when confused.

"You mean to say that there's a more complicated version than that?" he asked.

"It's not that bad really. Have a go."

Malfoy looked cautiously at the pre-offered remote and took it. He turned the telly off and back on again without trouble but when he went to turn the volume down, he accidentally pressed the channel button.

"Shit! What did I do?"

Hermione smiled. "That's okay, you just changed the channel. Press the other button and it will put it back to the right station."

"Right what?"

"Oh. Station, channel, same thing."

Teaching Malfoy the goings on of the telly had momentarily halted her annoyance, much to Hermione's relief. She really didn't want to have to get into why she was annoyed. Malfoy would be quick to make a comment about Ron. While she felt that she had to defend Malfoy to Ron, she knew she'd jump to Ron's defence with Malfoy. Something she didn't feel like doing at that moment.

"So, this changes the volume," Malfoy said pointing to the buttons, "and this changes the channel. Got it, I think."

"So can I make it a little more complicated?" Hermione asked him.

"Oh alright."

"Okay, now this remote – "

"What? There's more than one remote control?"

"Don't worry, it's not much different."

"That's what will annoy me, the fact that they are similar."

"Malfoy, it's really not that bad. Just note that the telly remote has these buttons and the stereo has these ones."

Hermione explained the technicalities of the stereo and how it fitted in with the television for the next half hour. She was getting used to Malfoy's interest in Muggle technology more and more, although the concept still seemed surreal. Two weeks ago she would not have thought that this was possible, however here she was, in that very position.

Malfoy gave a small grin. "So that's all I need to know about the stereo and television?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's it. I've finally showed you them."

"It's about time, Granger. I've been bored shitless for the last week." He quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" she exclaimed, feeling humiliated. She had thought that he was enjoying himself considering circumstances. These feelings were soon accompanied by her previous feelings about Ron that flooding back to her in a torrent.

Hermione stood up from the couch, hands on hips to stand above him.

"YOU ARROGANT PRAT!" she yelled, inwardly rejoicing at his shock. "I'm trying to be accommodating for you and this is how you thank me? Well, maybe I should just hex you back to Voldemort!"

Draco nearly fell off the arm of the couch. It was only that he grabbed at the back of it that prevented him from falling. "Woah Granger, settle! Honestly, I was only joking!"

"WHY would you do that?" She was furious.

"Seriously Granger, I didn't think you'd react like that." Malfoy regained his balance on the edge of the couch. "Trust me, I don't like dealing with irate witches; they are very unpredictable. You've just proven my point." He smirked.

Hermione wasn't sure if he was having another go at her or if he was just joking. She said nothing, only stared at him in fury.

"Look Granger," Malfoy changed tact and his voice was much softer. "If I had have known that it would have had that affect on you, I would have kept my mouth shut. Come on, I'm smarter than that. You know that too. Who else betters your Potions marks?" he baited. "It certainly isn't Potter."

"Who said anything about topping my marks?" Hermione retorted, causing Malfoy to quirk an eyebrow and grin. "I'll have you know that I got the best marks in our O.W.L.'s."

"Hook, line and sinker, Granger." Malfoy's smile spread across his face just as Hermione felt herself go red.

_Ugh! I should have known._

Groaning, Hermione buried her hands in her hair and muttered, "Boys!" under her breath.

Malfoy gave a chuckle. "Oh Christ." There was a slight pause before he started to talk again. "What was so bad that made you react like that anyway?"

"Nothing, so leave it at that."

"It must have been something, surely."

"Malfoy, you don't really want to hear this so there is no point pretending. I'd rather leave it, thanks."

Malfoy looked hurt. "Okay Granger, but don't lay the blame on me later on."

He started to walk off, much to Hermione's annoyance – moreso at herself than him.

"Malfoy, wait!"

He turned around but still looked slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I got an owl from Ron and something in it bothered me."

"Pfft! Weasley!" Malfoy scoffed. "He's dimmer than an unlit torch."

For once, Hermione found she didn't feel like defending him after her anger towards him. Instead, she went into a great torrent.

"He just doesn't seem to care! I really thought he would have owled earlier than this but no! Telling me all about how Harry and him have had a wonderful time and that 'You should have seen it, 'Mione!', then only asking how I am as an afterthought. He really annoys me when he does that!"

By now Hermione was close to tears. She had completely forgotten whom she was talking to. It only occurred to her after she finished talking that instead of Ginny sitting in front of her (who would normally be the one to hear her rants) it was the one person who had made her life a living hell for the past six years, Draco Malfoy. She only looked at him, wondering what he was going to make of all of this.

He only looked back in curiosity. "Feel better?" he asked.

There was a pause where not one of them said a word nor made a sound but only looked at each other. Hermione was a bit stunned at Malfoy's response; it was the complete opposite to what she had been expecting. All of a sudden, she burst out laughing. This in turn prompted her to start crying and hiccoughing, causing her to almost hyperventilate. Malfoy jumped to his feet, rubbing her on the back to try to help her regain composure. After a couple of minutes, Hermione felt better and he stepped away from her. She looked up at him, surprised at his aid but nonetheless grateful. She started to laugh again. Malfoy grinned himself, obviously relieved she wasn't about to start crying again.

"Thanks for that. In answer to your question, yes I do feel better," she finally responded.

"Good, I didn't want to have to put up with not only an irate witch but one who couldn't control her emotions."

"What is so bad about someone who's crying?" she asked him. "It's not just you who is uncomfortable with it, all males are like that. Harry and Ron were shocking. No end of times they sat there looking dumbfounded and unsure of what to do. Can you let me in on it?"

Malfoy furrowed his brow. "I dunno really. I guess it has something to do with the whole male persona. If something's broken, it needs fixing. When someone cries, it's not as easy as putting a quick fix charm on them. When you can't stop someone crying it's as if you failed to fix them. It's hard to explain."

"Boys are so silly in that respect."

"No, we're not. How would you like it if no matter what you did, someone wouldn't stop howling? I used to see it with my mother all the time." Malfoy stiffened up completely. "Forget I said that."

As desperately as she wanted to leave it, her curiosity got the better of her.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, it's not important."

"Malfoy, you just witnessed me ranting about my best friend, much to my embarrassment."

"Granger, I'd really rather not talk about it. Can we just drop the subject?"

Hermione looked away frustrated for a second then looked back at Malfoy. He looked pleadingly into her eyes, something neither she nor anyone else had ever seen from him before. Her impatience quickly dissolved.

"Okay then, I'll drop it."

"Thanks, Granger. Really."

Malfoy looked at her for a second longer then walked out of the loungeroom.

* * *

**Comments:**

To me, Ron just seems the sort who would do be conceited. Sometimes I like him and other times I think he is really quite prejudiced for his own good. He doesn't like any of the Slytherins purely because more bad wizards have come from that house than the others. He hated Malfoy from the start but I guess Malfoy hated him back.

Is Malfoy too 'fluffy bunny' in this? I hope not. I really needed a time for him to start coming out of his shell. If it was true to character, he would avoid Hermione the entire two months, but that wouldn't be very exciting as a storyline! So I decided that he will now. It _is_ a week after he arrived. Not to mention, he won't stay like this all the time; there are still quite a few things to happen to him that will no doubt be quite ... that's too much info (laughs evilly)! You will just have to keep reading!


	14. Football

Hey all! Sorry this has taken till now to post. I was working on my other story _La Malfoi Inconnue_ (nothing wrong with a bit of self-promoting of stories!) and I also had other stuff to do. But I have a few chapters ready for beta-ing and then can be posted. I kind of keep forgetting where I am with this story and that cos when I post, I'm usually three or four chapters behind from where I'm writing so I gotta get back into it and say, right, don't get ahead of yourself cos everyone else is only up to this spot. ANYWAY!

This chapter was beta'ed by Quizzle, who gave me a very good explanation of the offside rule in soccer. I'm not familiar with that game really, at all, so she gave me a hand with that as well as some other facts. Not to mention I only sent this last night and it was beta'ed straightaway, so I'm really grateful for that.

**Now, comments:**

**Little Black Poko-chan:** Re: Draco calling Hermione as Hermione and not Granger... that will happen in due time. Something happens that causes them to start using first names, but I cannot divulge that yet!

**chica91:** Something happens later on that for now, means that Harry doesn't need to write to Hermione. Actually, I just thought of something to do with that, so thanks for the provocation! ;-) Yeah, I was kind of hoping that Draco wouldn't be moving too quickly, but something was meant to happen that I wasn't sure if I can still put in that still makes him kind of an arse. Well not so much an arse, but his arrogance shines through anyway.

**Alexathenle:** To be truthful, I thought I explained it relatively okay until I read your review and then read Chpater 7 again. I know that it wasn't just the Jews who were involved in the mass genocide during the Second World War. I was also aware of the other facts that you pointed out. I should probably re-write that section and include the facts that you mentioned. I wasn't trying to gloss over the facts when I wrote that chapter, I had just thought that I did write it well enough that Draco would get it. I'll havta change it later on. Thanks for pointing it out.

**FarDeep:** It's funny how many people have told me that they don't really like Ron as a character. I'm sure when I read the books again I'll like him, but for now, I really do think he carries on a bit. I agree with you; personally I can't see Ron and Hermione staying together for a long time because I think that they are too different. Then again, it can be cute with all their fighting, but I dunno. If I was a real advocate for a Ron/Hermione pairing, I'd be writing a fic about those two, not of Hermione and Draco.

Now for chapter 14...

**

* * *

** **Chapter 14: Football**

Draco kept fairly quiet for the rest of the day after the revelation about his mother. He couldn't help saying it; it just kind of slipped out and would have gone unnoticed except that Granger and her cursed curiosity wouldn't leave it alone. Even so, he couldn't really attack her for it. After witnessing her ranting over Weasley not two minutes beforehand he trusted her enough not to divulge anything that he said. However, he was not ready to go into the whole 'dealing with Lucius being a Death Eater' thing yet. He really didn't want to go into it ever, only he knew one day it would possibly surface. Until that day came, he would keep it locked up deep within him and not let it come out.

Granger at least had the grace to leave it when he asked her to. She really did seem a different person from what he was used to. In fact, these last few days proved that maybe he had her completely wrong. Of course, she could still be extremely obnoxious, but it seemed that overall she actually seemed to care. In fact, her whole family seemed very generous. This concept was still new to Draco. The only person that he believed to care for him was his mother. Anyone else around him respected him for who he was – a Malfoy – but didn't really seem to feel anything else towards him, even Pansy. Well, Pansy probably did care but she probably cared more that she was going out with the Slytherin Prince. Yes, Draco knew what his nickname was to the rest of the students. He also knew that most people looked at him and saw his father, not him. He had learnt long ago to not let this bother him, only during the last year this had started to get under his skin.

The Grangers had been very accommodating to him over the last few days, for which he was ever grateful. They seemed to be quite a close family, even though Hermione was an only child. The comments at the dinner table each night were pleasant and even if they were all quiet, there was no awkward silence. Sometimes Robert would remark on something he read in the newspaper or about work, and Jane or Hermione would either agree or argue their cases. Draco rarely took part in these discussions, having no experience in the subject matters, but rather listened to each person's argument over the topic. Listening to Granger in the discussions, he was seeing more to her than he possibly imagined. He could see that she was indeed very clever and knew her stuff. She always listened to the other person's story before making judgement or gave argument, even if sometimes she became a little bossy in some of the more heated debates. It still seemed quite a surreal moment to be involved in, however it was not overbearing. Overall, it could have been much, much worse. He could have been living with the Weasleys.

He didn't see Granger until dinner that night but she didn't outright avoid him. If anything, he probably kept his distance from her and her parents. He just didn't really feel like being around anyone at that moment. He was not used to being around so many talkative people if truth be told, which was who the Grangers were. Not that he minded, but it was different.

During dinner (bangers and mash, a simple meal yet a favourite for Draco) Jane and Robert had been discussing the latest in what seemed to be Muggle sport.

"Really Robert," Jane argued. "It's just a game. Anyone would think that football was your religion, the way you go on about it."

"Jane dear, you simply do not understand. We should have won the other night except that Ryan Giggs took out our best scorer."

"Does it really matter, Robert?" Jane looked over at him scornfully, reminding Draco heavily of Granger herself in an arguing situation.

"I guess it doesn't, but it grants me some relief from the other saga."

The 'other saga' that Robert mentioned was a reference to the war in the Wizarding World and the danger to all Muggles. However Draco was too interested in the conversation to take notice of the saga that Robert was referring to.

"Robert," he asked, stunning Granger because he was actually speaking up at the dinner table, "What's football?"

"Football?" Robert looked at him inquisitorially. "You don't know what football is?"

"No, I don't."

"A born and bred English-lad not knowing about football? That'll have to change," Robert said jokingly.

"What do you mean?" Draco was not sure what to make of this.

"You see, football is the national sport. For us, I mean. The English Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the world, and the best players from overseas and other countries are recruited to play in the competition. With the exception of some of the other European leagues, of course, the English Premier League is well-regarded worldwide."

"What do they do then?" Draco had to wonder how he had escaped the hype of the English Premier League if it was as big as what Robert was making it out to be.

Seeing Draco's interest, Robert pressed on. "There is only one ball used and it is played with feet, hence the name. I believe it follows the same sort of routine as Quidditch, from what Hermione tells me, in that players from each side must try to score goals through hoops. Well, football is only slightly different. The goals are about 30 feet wide and they are guarded by a goalkeeper. The other ten players try to keep the other team from possession and at the same time try to score goals themselves. There aren't that many goals scored, however the skills involved in the game are second to none. There is really only one rule, the offside rule; an opposing team member has to have a defender between him and the goal only if he doesn't have possession the ball. This stops a team from hovering around the opponent's goal. And that's football for you."

Draco was expecting more. "Is that it?"

"Yep, it's that simple. Although don't let the lack of rules put you off. As I said the skills involved are second to none. Some games might be nil-all but have still been good to watch due to the skill involved. I'll tell you what; next game is on Friday night. We can't go unfortunately, but we can still watch it. I think it's your right as an Englishman to know what football is."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course. I think you might enjoy it. It isn't fast paced like Quidditch, or so I've heard, but regardless you may as well see what people are raving on about and make your own decision about it."

Each decision that Draco had made prior to 6th year had been not his choosing, and it was still difficult to get used to having a mind of his own. He looked back to Robert and saw that the man was quite serious in the matter, and resolved to have a look at this football game.

"Okay, I'll watch it Friday then."

"Good, I'm glad that's settled then." Robert went back to eating his dinner.

Draco sat there stunned for a small moment. This did not last long because the minute Robert stopped talking, Jane cut in.

"Draco, I forgot to tell you."

_Damn, what now?_

"I received an owl from Dumbledore. What a pleasant owl it was, too. Mind you, I'm still getting used to owls delivering the mail – and on a Saturday!"

"Details Mum!" Granger said through gritted teeth, causing Draco to smile.

"Now Hermione. Anyway, as I said, we received an owl from Dumbledore that was actually from your mother –"

"Mother wrote an owl?" Draco interrupted. "But why can't I write to her?"

"She writes owls to us via Dumbledore. He then forwards all mail onto us along with an accompanying note usually. It would seem a bit strange and suspicious if your mother wrote directly to us so she writes via him. She still believes that you should restrict all contact with her but she told us that you could write ONLY if need be via Dumbledore. She stressed the 'only' very heavily."

_Hmph, that old fool manhandling my letters._

"Regardless, she wrote to us in regards to your Wizarding attire. She believes that whilst very smart in your world, it may not be so practical in our World. She sent along some money for us to go shopping for some Muggle clothing. If you want, we can do that tomorrow."

Draco looked at Jane then to Granger, who only looked back at him stunned. He couldn't believe what he just heard. It hit him in the stomach like a flying bludger.

_Fantastic, shopping. Oh boy, this will be exciting._

Shopping had never been one of his favourite pastimes; unfortunately it was unavoidable with his parents being who they were. 'A Malfoy must always look like a Malfoy. You don't want the Parkinson's to think that you only belong to a lost cause, do you?' 'No mother.' Although he often thought that the casual clothing the Muggle-borns wore at Hogwarts looked more comfortable than the specially tailored clothes he wore most of the time.

"Tomorrow?" Granger asked. "But it's Sunday!"

"The shops are open on a Sunday in the city, Hermione. We'll be okay."

_Shopping in the Muggle World. This will be an experience._

"Now, I suggest you get an early night's sleep you two," Jane interrupted his thoughts. "We need to get up early in order to get a park. Besides that, if we finish early it will leave the rest of the day for you to do what you want."

"Yes Mum."

"Okay Jane."

Draco found himself feeling both excited and sick about the following day. Whilst he wasn't sure what to think about shopping with Muggles, he knew he couldn't keep wearing his Wizarding clothes.

_Well, now would be as good a time as ever to try out the Muggle clothes that the others wear. It might be good._

"It'll be okay, Malfoy," Granger said behind him. "I know you seem apprehensive, but it's really not that bad."

Draco wasn't entirely sure. "Hmm, I'll see when it happens. Night."

"Night."

Granger continued to clean up the kitchen and for a second, Draco stood still wondering whether he should help. As Robert had said earlier, he was a guest but he should conform to their house rules.

He hesitated for a second too long.

"Do you still want something?"

_Damn. Think up something!_

"No, it's okay. See you."

"Yeah, alright."

Draco hurried out of the kitchen and back up the stairs to his room. Castor was perched in his cage, waiting until it got a little later before going out hunting.

"Well Castor," Draco said as he stroked the grey owl's plumage, "tomorrow will be my first time outside everything that I truly know. I know I didn't really know anything when I came here, but there were some things that were similar to our World. Tomorrow's an entirely different matter."

The owl only looked back at him and ruffled his feathers. Giving a soft hoot to Draco, he flew out the window for the night.

Seeing as it was still relatively early in the night, Draco really didn't feel like going to sleep. He wasn't sure whether to go for a night flight so instead opted for his exercises that he had neglected for the last two weeks. He did this for the next hour until he finally felt tired enough to be able to head to bed. After another few minutes of lying in bed with the thoughts of the day and the anticipation of the next day going around his head, he finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Comments:**

Regarding the soccer/football (depending where you are from)... This kills me to say that it's a great game because for me it's the most boring game in the history of sport. Besides that, Australia has its own form of football, which to me is miles above the rest! Although I'm no fanatic. Give me F1 any day (I'm watching the Australian Grand Prix now… at time of writing, which goes to show how long ago I wrote this bit - March 6)!

"Details Mum!" Natalie says this to her mother when the Prime Minister drops by before the Christmas concert in 'Love Actually' – that's such a great film!

Well, hopefully I'll get the next chapter posted cos I don't mind it. It's a few pages but this one would have been added to it, only I thought it should be a chapter on its own, just to set the next one up.


	15. Shopping With Muggles

Well, here is the latest installment of this rivetting story... :-)I'm not gonna be bothered writing much here cos there really isn't a lot to say... but I guess, this is the next major story change for the series so far. Hope you like!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed; there were a heap this time! I'm listening to a song called 6.66 by Salmon Hater, an Aussie band that has one song, and even that one isn't good. Perhaps my Aussie readers will recognise it, for the others, you aren't missing anything... ;-)

**Comments:**

**Macey Muse: **Well, it won't be quite the comic feast that it sounds like. I possibly could have made it like that but at the time of writing that wasn't where I was headed so... we shall see.

**George's Brother Fred:** It's good to see that you like my other story as well. Your namesake features later on in that story, but that is all that is to be said about that...

**amishgirl281: **Can I ask what 'es muy bueno' means? It looks like Spanish or Portuguese but I don't speak either language. I'm glad you like the story but, and it's good to hear that they aren't too OOC either. Tis very much appreciated.

**EosRaven:** I have to give credit to my Beta, Qizzle for the description cos I didn't do the whole thing myself. I don't understand the game at all, so let's see how I go when I actually have to write the damn chapter where Draco watches soccer!

**Filthy x Gorgeous:** Hey welcome aboard:-) I'm finding that there are less people who like soccer than I first thought, at least I didn't lose readers over that comment.

**lollylover:** Lol, it's soccer here too, so it was weird writing 'football'.

**caryn :** The story I based 'Changes' on was not on this website that I know of. I can give you the link if you want but I must say that it is R rated. Anyways, the link is... http/ You'll have to scroll down the page a bit. I was going to give you the direct link but I thought that you might want to have a read of some of the other fics here. There are some very good SS/OFC fics and other SSHG stories. Although 'The Knight Errant Chronicles' isn't finished but it kept me reading all night literally. Hope this is useful.

**SLytHeRiNcHiCk 101: **Aside from theire little endeavour outside, I have big plans for these two. Maybe not quite immediate, but I will say that Draco hasn't encountered the worst of his problems yet and Hermione will see Harry before she hears from him, if that makes sense. And it IS a DHr fic. That is all I will say for now.

**Little Black Poko-chan:** No, Castor is the brother of Pollux, Narcissa's owl. They are twins and my reasoning for this can be found in Chapter 8 in the comments at the end.

**jesska-14: **Oh yeah, so would I! Hermione encounters a bit of this in the next chapter as well.

To everyone else, thank you so much for the comments and reviews. I just kept getting more and more, it was very satisfying! Thank you!

Here is the next installment...

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**Chapter 15: Shopping With Muggles**

Feeling extremely groggy after getting up at a ridiculously early hour (for him anyway), Draco put on some clothes and headed down the stairs.

"Morning Malfoy," Granger said sleepily as she exited her room.

"Hardly really," he grunted in response.

"Didn't you get a very good sleep?"

"It was more like a nap, really. Weekends for me are usually spent a little longer in bed. Not getting up at 7. That's for school only."

"Surely there have been some moments where getting up early on a weekend is called for."

"Nothing comes to mind immediately, but perhaps it will later. My mind doesn't function until after 9."

Draco could have sworn he heard Granger mutter "Lazy git" under her breath, but reasoned he was probably just hearing things.

By this time they had both reached the kitchen where Jane was sitting at the table with breakfast for them.

"All set for a big day?" she asked.

All Draco could muster was a slight 'Hmph'.

"Perhaps you might want to wake up before you give a response," Granger teased.

"I need a shower, that's what."

"Yeah, I was gonna say you smell but thought better of it."

Draco glared at her. "I most definitely do not smell!"

"You're right, your brain doesn't function properly before 9, does it? You can't recognise a joke if it danced in front of you!" A grin passed across her face.

_That's twice she's grabbed the upper hand on you, Draco. You better watch her from now on._

"Hermione, I'm sure Draco doesn't need that," Jane scolded.

_But I am capable of fighting my own battles, Jane. Oh well, next time._

"Now, we need to leave at 8, so could you two be ready by then?" the two teenagers nodded. "Good. I'll see you in an hour."

Both of them ate their breakfast in relative silence then scrambled back up the stairs to their respective rooms to get ready.

Draco took a while to decide what to wear that day, not wanting to appear too out of place. He settled on a pair of black pants and a short-sleeved white shirt and headed for the bathroom. Granger exited the bathroom just as he was about to enter, looking much more presentable than she had all week. In fact, that was an understatement. She looked great. Instead of the casual jeans and T-shirts she usually wore, she had her hair tied up in a loose bun. Since it was a pleasant day she was wearing a pale pink singlet with a white knee-length skirt. As she approached him, Draco could smell a hint of something he was not sure of, but it stayed up his nostrils tantalising him with the sweet smell.

_Granger, is that really you?_

Draco couldn't believe who he was looking at. Any time he saw Granger at Hogwarts she was wearing her school uniform or other Muggle clothing. Even around the house she wore obviously comfortable clothes but nothing special. It appeared that Granger was capable of making herself look quite nice, contrary to all prior opinions.

"Hello! Malfoy! I'm talking to you!" Granger's voice cut through his thoughts.

"What?" He brought himself back to the real world where Granger was standing in front of him, fingers snapping in front of his face.

"Finally, I've got a response! It's only taken three goes!"

"What do you mean!"

"I've told you three times already that the bathroom is free. In other words, you can have a shower."

"Oh."

_I hope I wasn't gawking at her. That's the last thing I really need._

"I'll leave you to it then." She eyed him suspiciously then went back into her room.

_Jesus, I still can't believe what she was wearing!_

Finally he was ready and went down to meet Granger and Jane. He suddenly realised that they would be taking the car. Remembering the trip back from King's Cross, he groaned inwardly.

"I don't know if I want to go, Jane," Draco admitted.

Appearing to have read his thoughts, Jane responded, "Nonsense Draco, you'll be okay. After a couple of times in the car, you'll be fine. If it's any consolation, I think Robert could drive a lot better than he does. Unfortunately he gets really impatient with the traffic. Sometimes I do on occasion, but he's usually a lot worse. You can sit in the front seat if you want. I find that usually helps."

They climbed in the car and drove off. At the gate, the wand-thing came out again to open it up.

"Jane," Draco queried, "What's that thing that you used to open the gate? I thought you couldn't do magic."

She smiled. "We can't Draco. This is a remote control. It is electronic and sends a laser beam at the gate sensor. You can't see the laser, but it triggers the sensor in the gate. Hence the gate opens."

"Is it much like the stereo and television remote controls?"

"In a way. They both work the same way in that the laser triggers the sensor, but that's about where the similarities end."

They continued to travel in silence for a bit. Draco realised that he didn't become nauseous with Jane driving, which was a relief.

It was certainly a different way to see the countryside, in a car. Not entirely dissatisfying either. He had been on the Hogwarts Express every year since his first, but he never really took in the scenery since he was usually occupying his time with picking on those in lower years. Looking back now, he realised that it was not a great memory of his times at Hogwarts. In fact, there weren't too many amusing times spent there. Quidditch had been a long time favourite of his, so he could always remember those games in good spirit; however it was only in his last year that he really felt he had enjoyed himself at school. He was in most of his classes with only Pansy or Blaise since there weren't many Slytherins who aimed as high up in the Wizarding World as him. Given he was with Pansy for a bit, things weren't all that bad. That is until she took up with Goyle of course.

That left a horrid feeling in his stomach and the previous feeling of being hit in the stomach by a bludger returned. Thank goodness he could see the tall buildings of London.

"Well, here we are in London," Jane announced, "although we still need to find a park. I'll try for a multi-deck one."

Soon enough they parked in one of the large multi-level car parks just outside the city and got out. The first thing to hit Draco's nostrils was the smell of fumes.

_Oh God, I don't think I like the smell of this. I do hope it improves._

Granger must have seen him wrinkle her nose because she said, "I know, it's pretty foul. Unfortunately that's what most cities smell like now."

"Hmm, yes. So far this shopping experience is not very good, Granger."

"Wait until we actually get into the stores, Malfoy. They have much cleaner air inside them, you'll see."

Draco wasn't very much convinced but decided not to argue. He had seen Granger's argumentative side a few times in the last week and concluded that he would rather be on the same side as her than not.

They needed to walk a few blocks before they could reach the major department store, Harrods. Along the way, they passed through Trafalgar Square; it was a part of the city that Draco had never seen before. Of course, his limited knowledge of London consisted of Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley and the other small laneways that came off them. He knew that there was the Muggle part of London, but he never realised that it was as big as it was. Trafalgar Square confirmed that. Spanning almost 100m across, it was bigger than the size of a Quidditch pitch.

_Wow, is this the same London that holds Diagon Alley?_

"This is Trafalgar Square," Jane interrupted his thoughts. "But we might have to stop off another time. Right now we need to get to Harrods."

After getting over the initial shock of the size of Trafalgar Square, Draco was able to keep up with Jane and Granger and followed them down the street. Along the way, they passed more people than he had ever seen, and, of course, more women than he had ever seen. Teenage hormones are a wondrous thing, and he found himself staring at all manners of teenage girls wearing much less than his pure-blood witch counterparts. Draco stood with gaped mouth, tongue almost touching his chin in anticipation.

Unfortunately he was busted perving by Granger, who only rolled her eyes at him.

_Well, perhaps the Muggle World is not so bad after all._

Not wanting to lose sight of the belles in question, Draco kept one eye on Granger and Jane and the other on the females. However, he did not anticipate for the light pole that somehow snuck into his blind spot and rather forcefully, he crashed headlong into it.

"Ow, shit!" he exclaimed.

Granger and Jane spun around quickly to see Draco rubbing furiously at his forehead.

"What's the matter?" Granger asked, although not covering up her grin very well.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Draco responded tactlessly.

"Does this have anything to do with those women who we walked past a minute or so ago?"

_Granger, get that grin off your face or I will wipe it off for you._

"I don't know, does it?"

"I'd say it does. Well that'll teach you from staring then, won't it? You won't get far in this world by gawking at females."

"I won't get far in this world anyway it seems."

"Oh Malfoy, lighten up. That's what we're taking you shopping for. You'll see that it really isn't that bad."

"No, it is. I've often waited for an hour just to be measured up, and then of course it takes another week for clothes to be made."

"There are tailors in the Muggle world, but what we're doing today is nothing of the sort. You walk into a store and pick the clothes you like then buy them. It's that simple."

"Really? No measurements required?" Draco was stunned.

"Yeah, so it doesn't even need to take all day, perhaps a couple of hours at most."

Draco was suddenly liking the sound of this new form of shopping. Picking out clothes _he_ liked, not his parents.

"Ok then. Well, where is this 'Harrods' then?" he asked.

"Up on the next block. It's the one with the black sign with gold lettering. You see it?"

Draco scanned the street up ahead. "Ah yes, that must be it."

They finally reached Harrods and walked inside.

Large was an understatement. Draco could only continue with the same look he first gave at the sight of Trafalgar Square. There were clothes stands everywhere, ranging from men's to women's. Different brands lined every inch of the floor and there were funny moving stairs that carried people up and down the levels.

"This way, Draco," Jane instructed as she indicated to her left.

"Is this not what you're used to, Malfoy?" Granger asked, giving him an interested look.

"No, not in the slightest," Draco answered. "There's nothing here that even resembles Wizarding attire."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I guess it could be both. It almost looks a little too messy for going out wear."

"That's because this is the casual range. The business and formal range are elsewhere. It might be different but I think you'll like it."

"We'll see. If it's only casual then I guess it should be okay." Draco perused the racks in interest. "They're much different than my clothes, that's for sure."

"I won't disagree. I know your clothes look very proper and, well, nice; but in all honesty how comfortable are they? Surely after a long day they would start to feel a little bulky or uncomfortable."

Draco seemed a little put out. "My clothes are by no means uncomfortable since they're made with the finest material." This was partly true, they were made out of the finest material, but there was no way he would admit the former to Granger. He had already admitted too much to her this last week. "Although I will say that I am looking forward to not having to be measured up. That tape measure gets a little close for comfort sometimes. I'm just glad that it's Madame Malkin who usually measures me up and not her male assistant."

Granger snorted. "That would be right, wouldn't it?"

They continued to walk along a walkway until they reached a sign saying Diesel.

Jane turned to Draco and said, "Draco, I can only point you in the right direction. There would be not point in telling you what to wear, that's for you to figure out. However I think you may want a second opinion on some of the things so I'll let Hermione stay with you to help you out. I'll meet you out the front in say, three hours? It's 9:30 now."

"Okay Mum," Granger answered.

"Thanks Jane," was Draco's response.

Jane left the two teenagers, who now seemed a little shy with one another (moreso Draco since he still hadn't gotten over how Granger was looking that day) and walked out of the men's casual section. Granger stood looking around for something then turned back to Draco, who had reverted back to his previous state of reverie.

"Well, you really need to see what sort of things you like before I can comment. It seems your mum gave you a fair bit of money to spend on clothes so I thought we may as well spend it in a good way."

She paused, obviously expecting an answer or at least a response. She shot Draco a look. "Malfoy," she asked irritably, "did you listen to a word I just said?"

_Damn her! I must have been staring again._

He shot her back the same look and responded embarrassingly, "No."

She only looked at him with hands on hips.

"What did you say then?"

"I said your mother gave you a lot of money to spend on clothes, so I thought we may as well spend it on something nice. Really Malfoy, you seem to be out of it today."

_Only because I still can't believe that _you_ are Granger._

"Well this is my first time here! Did you remember that?"

"Oh, but you seemed alright before."

_What to say, she's right about that._

Draco had to be honest. "There also seems to be a lot of styles I haven't really encountered either."

"Well, that's why I'm here. I can show you."

"What do you mean, 'show me'?"

"I can go get some things for you to try on if you want. Don't worry, I know what will suit and what won't. I won't make you try on pink T-shirts with green bike shorts or anything like that."

Draco pictured a pink shirt on himself and knew that that was as far as he wanted to take it. Wearing a girl's colour certainly did not appeal to him in the slightest. He also knew that after seeing Granger in what she was wearing, that perhaps she would at least know what would suit him and what wouldn't. She also knew what sort of clothes he would need to fit into the Muggle World.

"Fine, but you had better not get too experimental either."

"I won't. Trust me." She smiled and walked towards the racks.

_Shit, Granger. You have no idea what you look like, do you?_

Draco stood awkwardly beside a couple of jeans stands while Granger wandered about. In reality, it gave him a good opportunity to admire the view without being caught. Granger walked between the stands picking up items here and there until she had a big enough pile in her hands for Draco to try on.

"Here," she said, giving him the large pile of clothes, "this should be enough to start off with. The changerooms are over there, by the lay-by section. See it?"

Draco looked in the direction she was pointing. "Yes, I see it."

"Okay, I'll wait just outside the changerooms so give me some warning when you're about to come out."

Draco went into the changerooms and laid the pile of clothes onto the supplied chair. Granger had picked out two pairs of jeans – a black and a blue pair, a white T-shirt, a light blue short-sleeved shirt, a black short-sleeved shirt, another black shirt – long sleeved this time, and a v-neck two-tone grey jumper.

_Hmm, let's see how this looks on then, shall we?_

Draco reached for the blue jeans first and the white T-shirt and put them both on. He very quickly realised that the T-shirt was actually tight-fitting, stretching over his arms and torso.

_Not bad, not bad at all. Granger, again you've surprised me._

Feeling a bit experimental, he reached for the black short-sleeved shirt and put it on over the top of the T-shirt. Grinning to himself, he called to Granger and walked out of the changeroom.

She stood up from the chairs outside and faced him. Her slightly bored look turned very quickly to one of shock as she eyed him up and down. As she looked up again, she was smiling.

"You scrub up quite well, Malfoy."

Draco looked at her aghast and pushed a stray lock back from his forehead. "What do you mean, 'scrub up'? When have I ever looked out of place?"

"Okay, you got me. But I really wasn't sure what you'd look like in Muggle clothes. As I was saying, I think I managed to find what suits you the best. Try the black jeans on with the blue shirt, I want to know what that looks like."

He did as he was told and came back out of the changeroom. Granger furrowed her brow and put her hands on her hip.

"What?" Draco asked, thinking it was not a good sign.

"I dunno. Don't get me wrong, it still suits but just hold on a sec. I'll be back."

Feeling a little stupid, Draco sat down on the seat still in the new clothes – complete with tags sticking out everywhere – waiting for Granger to return. After about two minutes she came back, carrying a white short-sleeved shirt and a black cotton T-shirt, reminiscent of the white T-shirt he had on.

"Right then," she announced, "put this on instead." She gave him the black T-shirt. "Don't bother with a shirt over the top."

He went back into the changerooms and put the black T-shirt on. When he came out, Granger looked at him approvingly.

"That's better. Black jeans and black shirt. Of course you can mix and match with the blue jeans but personally I don't think that black T-shirts look as good with blue jeans. Anyway, you can try the white shirt on if you want."

Returning to the changeroom, Draco tried on the white shirt with the black jeans and then with the blue ones. He showed the latter to Granger, who looked as though she was enjoying herself immensely. Needless to say, so was Draco. It was much easier to get into than going shopping with his mother. Spending hours being measured up literally everywhere was not half as appealing as being able to try on clothes and take them off randomly without having to wait for them to be made first. He could really enjoy Muggle shopping.

Deciding to simply buy the lot, they paid for the clothing and then made their way throughout the other sections of the department store. Granger made Draco try on a few different pairs of shoes such as a pair of Converse One Stars as well as more dressy-casual shoes. By the time the two hours was up, Draco had almost an entire wardrobe of Muggle clothing to last him for the stay at the Granger's house. They even had time to let Granger buy a nice denim jacket, which she continued to wear for the rest of the morning.

At 12:30 they met Jane out the front of Harrods. Seeing the many bags the two teenagers were carrying, she could only shake her head at them and mutter, "I remember what it was like for me at that age."

Draco couldn't believe how much he had enjoyed the morning. So much so he couldn't get the stupid grin off his face. He could almost safely say it was the most fun he had since the last Quidditch game Slytherin won against Ravenclaw. The game had been an absolute thriller that lasted three hours until Draco finally caught sight of the snitch when scores were almost dead level.

"So I take it you bought a few things then?" Jane commented.

"Yes," Draco responded, "I actually really enjoyed myself."

"That's good to hear. Well, I seemed to be able to finish everything I needed to do, do you want to spend a bit more time here or do you just want to go home?"

Draco really wasn't sure. He realised after they'd stopped that he was indeed very tired even though it was only a few hours shopping.

"Maybe we'll come back later Mum," Granger answered for him. "Unless Malfoy wants to stay. Do you?"

"Actually," he admitted, "I think I'd prefer to go back to the house. I do feel really tired."

"You've had a big day, no doubt. Alright, perhaps next weekend or maybe during the week you and Hermione could go out again. Just let one of us know and either Robert or I can give you a lift into the city in the morning."

"That'll be great, Mum." Draco turned to face Granger to see that her eyes were lit up and she was grinning. "It might give me a few more things to show Malfoy."

_You're excited about going out again with me? Hmph._

There was no denying that Draco did enjoy his day. Especially with Granger of all people, this week had certainly proved that he hadn't known her at all prior to his arrival at the Grangers'. He wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to let her know that he rather enjoyed her picking out clothes for him, seeing as it was only a week that he'd been there. Granger seemed so sure of herself as she wandered the stands in search for some perfect outfit. What was more, she had good taste in clothing, both female and male. She didn't abide by what seemed like the fashion of the day but she chose clothes that suited her and complemented her own style.

Draco had suddenly become incredibly shy after seeing her in her outfit that morning. He could scarcely believe it himself. He as a Malfoy, who usually seem so sure of themselves, was unnerved by a female. A Muggle-born as well. It wasn't a very good situation to be in. He still thought that Granger would be very apprehensive if he started to become incredibly nice all of a sudden, yet that was really all he wanted. He suddenly felt shamefaced at everything that he'd done to her. He still couldn't forget the good nature of her to let him into her house even if it was her parents' final decision. She had been very tolerant of him the entire time despite their occasional arguments throughout the week.

"That would be good, Jane," Draco finally said. "If Gr – Hermione wants to do it."

Granger opened her eyes even wider in shock and said nothing. Instead she sat gaping at him for so long he was tempted to make a barb at her. He really wasn't sure why he called her that; only it seemed a bit weird to call her by her last name in front of her parents.

"Well then, homeward bound, I guess," Jane announced as they started to make their way back to the car.

They got as far as the third floor when Jane stopped, raised her hand to her temple and started rubbing at it.

"What's wrong, Mum?" Granger asked worriedly.

"Do you remember where I parked the car?" she pondered.

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head. _Oh shit. No wonder brooms are better._

"Weren't we in Blue A5?" Granger wondered.

"No, I thought it was Green A5."

"Well, why don't we try both and see then?"

"Why don't I just _Accio_ it back then?" Draco queried.

Granger turned to face him in horror, hands on hips for emphasis.

"Malfoy!" she yelled. "I do hope you aren't serious about that! You know we aren't supposed to do magic away from Hogwarts during summer holidays!" Besides, you shouldn't have your wand on you. This is the Muggle World, remember?"

Draco felt himself go bright red in embarrassment. He was instantly reminded of the bossy Granger of the classroom, the never-break-rules Granger. However she had a fair point. He also realised that his wand was sitting in his suitcase back in his room at the Grangers'. He was wrong on both counts. _Damn her!_

After wandering around in apparent circles for what seemed like ages to Draco, Granger finally exclaimed, "There it is!" pointing towards a corner of the car park.

_Thank God for that. These cars really don't seem like the way to go._

Upon getting into the car, Draco saw the time on the interior clock. _2:30pm. Wow, what a day. _They drove in near silence all the way back to the Granger's house. Draco couldn't get the concept of Granger knowing about style out of his head, oblivious to the fact that she was sitting in the back seat thinking about how much her opinion had changed of him during that day.

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**Comments: **

Well, there doesn't seem to be any for this chapter. Any questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks and bye for now!


	16. In Malfoy's Room

Hello all! I got so many reviews the last chapter that I'm stoked! Thanks to everyone, it's so cool! And I apologise for the lateness of this chappy cos I have had a lot of work and not done any of it. I should be doing an assignment that I havent started yet that is due tomoz... Better get onto it soon.

This chapter was beta'ed by Qizzle, as was the last that I forgot to mention. There were some changes made to both that were legit, so that was cool. It's always good to get things checked b4 they are uploaded.

Anyway, better get onto comments cos there are a lot this chapter...

becky: Hey, thanks for that! It's cool to know that it's believable. To be truthful, I really wondered whether I didn't just fall into the cliche of the two of them going shopping and 'Holy Shit! Malfoy looks so good!' type thing. I think it was needed but I still believe I fell into a cliche. Hope it doesn't sound horrid - the rest of the chapters contain a bit more plot or whatever.

LadySnake: I have nothing against the grungy look, on some it looks quite cool (some of the blokes at uni for instance...) but on Draco, I just didn't think it would be him. He is upper class and prior to this day he wore very formal and neat clothes. I thought that he should retain the classiness of Muggles but get into the casual look. Atm, I'm doing follow spot for a musical, and the lead actor has to wear black pants with black T-shirt at one point. In everyday wear, he is your typical quiet bloke but as the character, he looks really good. That was just sidetracking... ;-) sort of related but anyway.

**0o0dragonqueen0o0:** I hope you've made it this far... welcome aboard!

**Tima:** Wow, I can only hope you didn't read all 15 chapters at one go... I mean, that's a huge ego boost for me, but did you have time to sleep in between:-) Thanks for the review!

**ME :** I always stuff up 'no one', it's one of those words that I should know, but I never do. Oh well. Yeah, I got a copy of Order of the Phoenix online (Word document) and it's 470 pages long. Mine so far is 120, and it's only nearly the end of the second week (for me that is - there are a couple more chapters to upload). Maybe I can out-do JK!

**Caitlin:** Ah crap, will have to go over that! That chapter wasn't beta'ed so that is probably why it's still in there... Thanks for that!

**superuki:** I wanted to try to keep it as authentic as possible, but that would be difficult seeing as I'm not British. But it's good to know that it's sounding relatively authentic! And I know I just bagged out your national sport (football) but I just didn't grow up with it, that's all... ;-)

**harryluvzginny:** I'm sure Draco would, remember this IS mid-90's tho, so this kind of fashion wasn't actually around. I'm also trying to keep it to the period as much as possible as well. Maybe when he is older he can wear them... he'd get away with it! The type of pink T-shirt I'm thinking of is literally hot pink. THAT wouldn't suit Draco at all.

**punkpixie87:** Um, not sure what u mean by that. You don't like Ash? Sorry Champ, I think they're cool... ;-) And the leather pants, ooh yeah, I can picture him wearing that but I'm trying to keep this story as real to life as possible. Leather pants is not exactly something I can picture Draco wearing at 17... maybe later in life, but I agree; he would look hot!

To everyone else who reviewed, it's so so good to get reviews! Thank you all for them, loving it...

Onto chapter 16...

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**Chapter 16: In Malfoy's Room**

_Malfoy called me 'Hermione'!_

Hermione was sitting in her room trying to read her book from the previous night a couple of hours after they returned from shopping. She realised, upon looking down at her page that it was only the second one that she'd 'read' in that two hours. She really didn't want to read; she wanted to ask Draco what he thought of his first day in the Muggle World. She thought it was almost comical that his first experience was of her mother forgetting where the car was parked. Well, funny now but certainly not at the time. Malfoy rushed straight up to his room when they got back and she didn't have a chance to ask him what he thought. He really could be frustrating. Come to think of it, it seemed like a usual boy thing. Harry and Ron could be like that as well. The 'thing' between Cho and Harry (because really, that's all it constituted as) was the most frustrating thing she'd had to witness. Harry simply could not get it into his head why Cho would feel the way she did in regards to Cedric and even Hermione herself. Now, it seemed, she was going through the same frustrations with Malfoy, although not with the same subject matter.

It had been a bit of a trying day. Most of the time it was quite pleasant, but every now and then some things would ever so slightly get under Hermione's skin. Malfoy had seemed to lose most forms of communication with her from the get-go. Actually, now she had time to think about it, it really only started when she told him the bathroom was free. He seemed to have been caught off guard because she had to tell it to him three times. If she didn't know any better it appeared that he was checking her out, except that Malfoy was the most unlikely person to do so. He had still looked dazed as he walked in there to get ready.

His words were still few and far between along the way and when her mother left them to their own devices, it was Hermione who initiated all conversation. One look at Malfoy beforehand told her that he was not going to be the one who would. She did notice that he seemed almost a bit relieved that she offered to pick out the clothes for him, though. She could hardly believe her luck. It's not everyday that a girl gets to choose clothes for someone who would be so suited as a model it wasn't funny. Yes, she reluctantly admitted that he was a good looking guy. Any girl would come to that conclusion after seeing him on the street. It was just that he was such a cocky bastard most of the time that it overrode such opinions. Although these last few days had been enough for Hermione to change her opinion of him. Malfoy had seemed concerned about her fiasco with Ron, much to her surprise. It was also understandable that he didn't want to talk about his mother. The thing was, she was continuing to see other sides to the flaxen-haired boy that she doubted many people had seen before. With that thought, she felt a little bit proud.

Waiting outside the changeroom, Hermione had wondered what Malfoy would think of the clothes that she'd picked out for him. They were hardly what you would call out of the ordinary; they would suit a lot of occasions in the Muggle world. He also had the build to get away with most things. He wasn't overly tall, but he wasn't short either and while seekers weren't known for being strong, they still needed to be fit enough to contort themselves into ridiculous postures whilst trying to catch the snitch. This was fairly evident with Draco, and for this reason, Hermione knew that he would suit the T-shirts she'd got him. She had remembered back to the morning that she saw him in his pyjamas. His arms weren't lean, but she was so preoccupied with his pyjamas she failed to notice the rest of him.

Then Malfoy appeared from the changeroom the first time. God! She could have sworn it was someone else. He looked so hot that she felt herself flush from head to toe. His slicked-back hair looked slightly ruffled from the clothes changing and one lock had come loose and flopped over his forehead. The grin on his face gave it away that he was enjoying himself as much as she was. She couldn't get over it. He simply looked fantastic.

Soon after that, she'd run off to get the black muscle T-shirt. It had given Hermione a chance to calm down her nerves and gather her thoughts while he waited. She noticed on her way to the racks that some of the girls with their boyfriends had been checking him out as well. _Haha! He's with me, girls!_ Not to mention they'd given her some nasty looks as well.

Well, the black muscle shirt and jeans looked great. His fair skin contrasted surprisingly well with the colour of his clothes, and she knew she was checking him out again.

_This is going to do wonders for his ego, I wonder if he knows that?_

She had found herself temporarily speechless, a rarity for her. Malfoy resolved to buy everything that he'd tried on, and that was that. She was able to control her thoughts again. And then he called her 'Hermione'. He'd never called her that. She couldn't get that image out of her head. It sounded so strange for him to use her first name that she wondered for a fleeting moment whether she was indeed standing in front of Malfoy or not. Admittedly he did seem a little awkward saying it, but that didn't matter. He called her 'Hermione', a once in a lifetime thing.

So now she was lying on her bed, trying to read her book without any success. It was nearly 5 o'clock, which was good news since dinner would be starting to be prepared and she could go down and help out if she wanted. The thing was, she didn't. She really wanted to talk to Malfoy about his day.

Well that was it. She'd had enough of thinking about it for a day. She decided to just push all her fears aside and go do it. She got up from her bed and opened the door.

She stood outside his door for about five seconds in silence, hand raised in ready mode to knock. She took a deep breath and started to knock, at the same time as Malfoy opened the door for some other reason. Hermione jumped back in alarm, obviously not prepared for having the door opened so suddenly and Malfoy stood gaping for a time staring at her. It was certain that he was not ready for someone to be standing at the door either.

Malfoy recovered the quickest and asked, "Granger, what are you doing?" losing all form of niceties from the day.

"What does it look like, Malfoy?" she responded, surprised at her tact. _God, seems like I've been hanging around Malfoy for too long._

He too seemed a little shocked at her response. "If I didn't know any better I'd say it looks like you were about to knock on my door. What I meant was, why?"

He'd moved away from the door just enough that Hermione was able to sneak a peak into his room. The bed wasn't made properly but good enough for someone who's had it done for him beforehand, and his suitcase was opened right up. Clothes were spilling out of it in all manners and he had a pile of books lying beside the bed. She could also see some clothes laid out on the bed and realised upon better inspection that they were the ones that they'd just bought that day.

"I was just wondering how your first experience in the outer Muggle World was. It was a big day, that's why."

"Oh, yeah it was good." Malfoy looked a trifle shy.

"That's all you can say, it was 'good'?" Hermione looked at him suspiciously. "Surely it was something else other than 'good'."

"Granger, I don't know how to put it into words. It was better than I expected considering circumstances. There were some aspects worse than others, such as the car park incident, but it was an enjoyable day."

That was enough for Hermione. "I'm glad you thought that, Malfoy. I was just curious, that's all, since you haven't ever really spent a full day in the Muggle World. Aside from our house of course, but you know what I mean."

He sighed. "True, I suppose. It was different, I'll say that. I still don't know how you all manage without magic. I'll give you credit, Granger. Muggles are a lot smarter than Wizards think."

Hermione was speechless, again. _Hmm, this seems to be happening a lot lately._ Her mouth could not form the words she was thinking. She had just heard Malfoy saying that Muggles were smart, but was that right? Had she _really_ heard correctly?

Malfoy smirked. "Lost for words again, are you Granger? I'm starting to think that there really are miracles!"

"Hey!" she retorted with a playful punch on his arm. _That was a knee-jerk reaction if I ever saw one._ "Even you have those sorts of days, so don't be denying it!"

Malfoy looked down at the spot where she'd hit him. "Feisty one, aren't you?" He grinned even more. "Did I touch on a nerve?"

"No," she said defensively. She really had nothing to be annoyed about, except that Malfoy was enjoying himself immensely.

"I think so. You know Granger, you better watch out, because the way things are going I'm starting to think that there is more to you than the annoying know-it-all demeanour you have going in the classroom."

Hermione looked at him in curiosity. "What?"

Malfoy stiffened up and his face went slightly red. "Doesn't matter." He quickly changed the subject. "So's that what you came to ask?"

She was still curious at his last comment but knew that the matter was finalised. "Yes, that was it." She looked past him. "I'm not being nosy or anything, but have you been trying your clothes on again?" She indicated to the clothes on the bed.

Malfoy turned around to look where she was indicating and turned back around.

"Yes I was. I don't know why exactly but they feel like they were made for comfort."

"That's because they are, really. There is no point being uncomfortable in everyday clothing."

Hermione moved to stand against the doorjamb and as she did so, she noticed that the book sitting beside the bed was not Dracula, indicating that Malfoy had finished reading it and moved onto something else.

"Have you finished Dracula then?" she asked after a pause.

"Yes."

"Did you have nightmares afterwards?"

"On occasions."

"So what was the final verdict then?"

Malfoy shifted in his stance and looked away. He turned back again and said, "Did you want to come in then? Save you leaning against the jamb."

Hermione was taken aback. _Wow, where did _this_ come from?_ "Er, okay then."

She entered the room and looked around. There was something in there that she knew was different from when she first showed him the room but she couldn't put her finger to it. She went and sat down in the beanbag in front of the window. Malfoy sat on the end of his bed and put one foot up onto the bed. One arm was resting on his knee while the other pushed a stray lock of hair away from his face. In this position, he still managed to put Hermione onto the defensive with his commanding presence, even though they were both only sitting in his room and talking. It was something that he had mastered to a fine art; he had the same reaction from everyone wherever he went at Hogwarts.

Although he still looked nice. Hermione did a double take at the image in front of her and went back to trying to figure out what was different about the room.

Then it hit her. The beanbag she was sitting in was _not_ in the room when he first moved in; she would have known if it was. She also couldn't remember seeing Malfoy with it anytime during the week, so she concluded that he must have conjured it up. The only thing was that they were not meant to perform any magic over summer. So how did it get there?

Just as she was about to ask, Malfoy spoke up. "You asked about the book. I did like it, I'll say that. Whoever this Bram Stoker was, he did a good job in writing. It was a different way to write a book, as I said before, and it was an interesting read anyway."

Every so often, Hermione caught wafts of designer cologne. _He obviously sits here a bit then. Nice choice of deodorant, Malfoy._ Malfoy said nothing about it. "So what book did you start afterwards?" she asked him.

"Casino Royale. That James Bond's a bit of a lucky bastard, isn't he?" Malfoy grinned.

Hermione laughed. "Yeah, true. It's an easy read, that one. Although they're still alright, literature wise. Maybe you'll like the one I'm reading. It's the thriller I was telling you about by James Patterson."

"Maybe. Hey," he suddenly sat up from the bed head and looked at her with curiosity, "do you have any books about Hitler?"

_What does he know about Hitler?_

"Yeeah, there are some books about the Second World War," she said slowly, not sure what to make of the question. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I was curious about him, that's all." Seeing Hermione's look, he continued on. "Your father explained to me who he was one day and he said what sort of chaos that the man created. I was interested in it, to find out how he did it."

Hermione really wasn't sure what underlying truth Malfoy was seeking.

"Why do you want to know that?" she asked cautiously.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Because I plan to take over the world. Seriously Granger, you should know by now I'm not into that. It's part of your history; and as you keep telling me, the more I know, the better I will fit in. Besides, history is interesting, despite Binns' classes." Malfoy sighed. "Look Granger, I wasn't aware that your World has seen atrocities like what your father told me about. The wars I know about in the Wizarding World seem incomparable to the war that your father told me about, what did you call it? The Second World War. Hold on, has something like this happened before?"

"In what way?"

"Was there a First World War?"

"Yes, that was from 1914 to 1918. The Second World War officially went from 1939 to 1945, although there were problems from about 1937 onwards. Perhaps it might be best to read about the politics behind the first one before you read about World War II. The reason why the second war occurred was everything to do with the first one."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea. So anyway, are those books in the study as well?"

"Yeah, you might have to do a bit of a search; Dad doesn't have a very good filing system. All of my books are in order but he seems to just find a spot on the shelf and put them there."

"Okay. Well after this book I might have a look about for them. Really, any war is interesting. I mean, what would drive someone so far as to want revenge on everyone and everything? Take the Battle at Five Rivers. Do you know about that?"

"Was 'Changes' based on a real-life event?"

"Not the storyline, but there really was a Battle at Five Rivers. Really, you haven't heard of it?"

"No, I haven't."

"Hmph." Malfoy looked shocked but continued on. "It was a pretty major battle, although Binns obviously doesn't think so. It might have something to do with the fact that he could turn any battle into something as boring as cleaning the silverware in the trophy cabinet at Hogwarts. Perhaps he thought it was too much of a struggle to make this one so unappealing. But I would have thought you would have read up on it." He quirked an eyebrow.

Hermione took the defensive. "Why is that? Because I'm a bookworm, is that it?"

"I never said that. What I meant was that you usually read up on your facts. I won't deny that you know a lot about the Wizarding World. Geez Granger, you need to know when someone is complimenting you."

_Excuse me?_ "It's a bit strange to hear from you, Malfoy. Don't you usually prefer to take the bullying approach?"

"Have you heard me have a go at you at all during this stay? I mean _really_ have a go at you?"

She thought long and hard but could find no time when he truly got stuck into her. "Okay, maybe not, but I still find compliments and you don't usually go in the same sentence."

"I've noticed that my speech is on a loop. Have you?"

_Hmm? _"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I keep saying to you, Granger, there is a lot more to me than you think," Malfoy smirked. _Just when I thought he was being kind, he comes out with that_. "I am capable of it; it's just that not everyone has earned it."

_What is he saying here? I guess he's giving me another compliment._

"Alright then. So I've earned it, have I?" She gave a small grin. Malfoy only looked at her in return but his pale eyes were glinting.

"I suppose so."

"Well, perhaps you may want to fill me in then on this Battle at Five Rivers. Seeing as you know about it, I'd love to hear it."

Malfoy looked at her in suspicion but since she only looked back in interest, he started the history lesson.

"Very well. It has a very simple background story to it, funnily enough having caused so much heartache for everyone.

"It occured late in the 12th century, here in England. One man, a blacksmith, wanted revenge on his mother country (being England) for banishing him after he committed adultery with the Lord of Huntington's daughter, who was betrothed to an Italian aristocrat. The daughter was in love with the daughter, Lady Persephone, as she was in love with the man yet she still had to marry the aristocrat. So he was banished from his homeland. He went from being a well-known blacksmith to having his name tarnished, all in the name of love. A bit silly, really.

"Anyway, he went to Ireland to start up his blacksmith's shop again and she followed him. He had developed his good name again and was well-known around the country. The lord's army was ordered to bring her back after being wrongly told that she had been kidnapped by the blacksmith. The blacksmith was outraged that a story like that was made up about him, and what he supposedly did, so he got all the good men of his adopted country to take on the lord's army. There were many killings on both sides and half of all of the male Irish Wizarding population was wiped out. In conclusion, Lady Persephone escaped her homeland by glamouring herself enough to fool the lord's army and went to live with her blacksmith, who was badly wounded and lost an eye, but still lived to tell the tale."

Hermione was amazed that Malfoy knew so much about the Wizarding history. From what she heard, he only ever scored E's for History of Magic compared to her O's, yet he knew all about this particular war that she had known nothing about. She couldn't understand why he did.

"Gee, so do you know how long the battle went for overall?" she asked Malfoy. "It sounds as though there were a few deaths as well."

"I think it went for about eight months in total. There were probably about one hundred thousand deaths, including civilians and others. It wasn't just the Irish Wizards and the English Wizards, there were some other countries that had heard about the battle and simply chose sides based on their own morals. For example, the French chose to fight on the Irish side due to their Celtic ties and nothing more, and the Scottish, believe it or not, fought for the English. That was about the only time they ever did, though."

"You're kidding, the Scots and the English? Hmph, I wouldn't have thought that."

"I know. Strange but true."

There was a sudden knock on the door that frightened both teenagers.

"Draco, Hermione, dinner's ready if you want to come down now."

They both looked at one another.

"Did you hear Dad come home?" she asked him.

"No, I've been in here the entire time," Malfoy replied.

They both got up from their respective seats (or, in Malfoy's case, his bed) and headed down the stairs.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Dinner passed rather eventfully as Robert had spotted an article in the newspaper that caught his interest. The next ten minutes were spent with both Jane and Robert discussing rather heatedly their own opinions on the given topic. Hermione rolled her eyes because she couldn't see how either viewpoint was favourable, but glancing across at Malfoy she saw that he was greatly interested in what was going on in front of him.

_I forgot, this is something he knows nothing about. Muggle politics, I better not explain that one to him._

Her parents' argument continued as they finished their dinner and retired to the loungeroom, leaving Hermione to clean up as she usually did. As she was clearing up the table, Malfoy got up to help her. A bit shocked, she said nothing but was grateful for the help. Dinner that night had been tacos and things were quite messy. It had been interesting to watch Malfoy trying out the Mexican dish. He seemed to have enjoyed eating them because he finished four, stuffed with everything that was offered.

He picked up a couple of the bowls containing the filling and placed them on the bench.

"Where does this go?" he asked.

"Oh, I usually put them in the fridge. They can be used for salads or sandwiches tomorrow or the next day. Really Malfoy, you don't have to do this, it's my job."

He looked at her but only shrugged his shoulders.

"It gives me something else to do. At home those stupid elves wouldn't let me even make my own snacks." Hermione glared at him at the word 'stupid'. Malfoy looked up at her. "What?"

"They aren't stupid, Malfoy."

"No, they are. No end of times I've told them how I like something and they still get it wrong. When I say it'd be easier if I made it myself, meaning every word of it, they yell, 'No no, we can't have master making his own food, us elves do that!'"

Hermione continued to glare at Malfoy but he was oblivious to it.

"Anyway, it just seemed tonight that you might have wanted some help."

Her glare turned into a small look of shock. "Well I am grateful for it, thank you. Tacos are something that no matter what you do, there is no way you can eat them cleanly."

"No, it doesn't appear so."

With Malfoy helping, it took twice as quick as it normally did to clean the kitchen and they were finished quite early.

"I'm really tired," Malfoy announced.

"I'm not surprised, it's been a big day."

"Yeah, also because I'm used to going to bed earlier on a Sunday night, ready for school Monday."

"I like holidays but I tend to get into a bad habit of going to bed late and getting up later."

"I do that, too. I hate Monday mornings."

"Especially if I have double Potions first thing."

"What's wrong with Potions?" Draco asked darkly.

"It's alright for you; you're Snape's favourite student. He despises me, no matter what I do!"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Granger, have you ever heard yourself in the classroom? There wouldn't be a question asked that you haven't put your hand up for."

"It's not my fault I know all the answers! Everyone else should know them as well."

"Maybe they do and you don't give them a chance."

"They'd put their hands up if they did!"

"I don't."

"You've known most of the answers?"

"Give me some credit, Granger. I've known them all."

"Then why don't you answer?"

"Because I know you will do it for me, then Snape fires comments at you rather than me."

Hermione glared.

"That is such a Slytherin thing to do!"

Malfoy smirked. "I'm honoured you think that, Granger, it shows I've done my house proud." He paused for a moment before continuing. In that time, Hermione could think of nothing to say. "If that's the worst thing I've done in the classroom in the last year then really I haven't done anything that bad, have I?"

_He has a point. Damn him!_

"I guess not. But he favours you lot constantly!"

"I don't think you realise that your precious Gryffindor Heads favour you lot as well."

"When have they done that? I can't think of a time!"

"When? WHEN? Every bloody year!" Malfoy glared at her. "Every time someone else wins the House Cup, usually Slytherin, Dumbledore always manages to find extra points to add onto Gryffindor's total to make them win."

"That's because we deserve them. It's not like he gives them to us without good reason."

"I still say he favours you lot, although I do give McGonagall credit. She always tries to keep things fair that I can see."

Hermione was stunned. Here Malfoy was, bagging out the former head of Gryffindor and current Headmaster, yet he just complimented Professor McGonagall.

"What was that?"

"Granger, you heard me the first time. I'm not going to repeat myself."

"I didn't know you thought that. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, by any means. Okay Malfoy, you surprised me again."

Malfoy gave a small grin. "There's no point being predictable. That's boring."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess it does make things interesting, if not completely irritating."

This only caused Malfoy's grin to spread across his face. "That's what I do best, getting under people's skin. As you just said, it makes things interesting. Anyway," he said resignedly, "I'm tired so I think I'll go to bed. Perhaps tomorrow I might look up some of the war books you told me about."

"That's a good idea. I'll give you a hand if you want. At least I might be able to track down some obscure books anyway."

"I suppose two heads are better than one. Okay Granger, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Malfoy."

"Night."

Malfoy left the kitchen and wandered upstairs. Hermione didn't leave the kitchen straightaway; instead she was thinking about what Malfoy had said about Dumbledore giving away last minute points to the Gryffindors. She hadn't really thought what it might look like to the other houses. She didn't think it would bother Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff if the House Cup didn't go to the Slytherins but she was sure that the Slytherins would think that they were hard done by. Although, they were completely favoured by Snape so surely things evened out. _That's ridiculous. Think about fifth year while Umbridge was there. Every other teacher awarded points for completely stupid reasons to everyone else bar the Slytherins. Perhaps Malfoy does have a point._

Hermione finally left for her room still thinking about Malfoy's argument. As much as she was quite frustrated with that last discussion, she realised that Malfoy wouldn't have said what he did without reason. Then as she lay down to go to sleep, she couldn't remove the image of Malfoy coming out of the changerooms at Harrods wearing the clothes she'd picked out for him.

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**Comments:**

The Battle at Five Rivers - I guess this is very much like the Trojan War, although I'm not sure on the outcome of that.

In terms of any other comments, I can't think of any so just lemme know if there are problems with the chapters.

I have no idea when I can update chapters later on but yeah, in answer to a lot of questions, things are starting to warm up between the two of them. Wait for the next chapter and you will know what I mean... ;-)

See ya!


	17. Truce

Hey everyone! Thanks to those who reviewed and even those who just read my story and msg'ed me via email! Its so cool to get such a positive response to this. Makes everything worthwhile. Really does.

Best to make this quick cos I need to get onto comments and stuff. I'm sorry it took so long to get uploaded, there have been a few things going on privately and besides that, it hasn't been beta'ed cos my beta has a few things to do as well. Not to worry but just keep that in mind when reading. There might be a few mistakes.

Anyway, **comments**:

**pluto:** I woulda commented to your review had I realised that it was for Chapter 15 beforehand! Sorry bout that. Anyway, I believe that to create the right amount of tension between the two, it really needs to be built up slowly... Even though I would love it to happen a bit quicker! Well, really there have been a lot of chapters added in or whatever, so it might appear slow but it's only cos I've broken chapters up into smaller ones.

**nosie:** As above. I shoulda reviewed to this beforehand but didn't get to. Their next outing is hinted at in this chapter, but that is all I will say!

**superuki:** Hahaha! Sorry, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind! ;-)

**harryluvzginny:** I think I know what you mean :-P cos I was struggling to end that last chapter myself. What I meant was, Hermione was thinking about everything that he had said but also about what Draco had looked like that day. Her emotions are becoming confused, again!

**Steelo:** You commented on so much that I feel I should comment on it too! Re: Ch 7, I realise that it probably wasn't quite as bad as what I originally thought but it was just me being protective, I forget what it was like at 13, for me that was 8 years ago! Re: Ch 8, I don't tend to write or even read Harry fics, I absolutely loved Tom Felton in COS, I thought that he was the one who had aged the most and looked incredibly awesome. I also believe that he is the best actor of the three main boys, tho I give Rupert credit. The latter and ch 12 comment, I will leave that for speculation!

**LadySnake:** The Trojan War is once again, something that I am not incredibly familiar with so it was something that I kind of thought was similar but not sure! Oh well. Now I know.

**Ezmerelda:** That means a lot, if you read a lot of it that arvo! It goes to show that it was interesting enough to keep you engaged. Well, I only hope this is as good as the last. I will try to get Ch 18 up quicker as well.

**walk.in.the.rain:** I also believe that the reason why these two are so good together is cos of teh whole Gryffindor/Slytherin rivallry. It creates a lot of tension b/w the two, and I always believe that there is a very fine line between love and hate... ;-)

**Senya Lady of the Serpents:** Lol, thats funny bout wanting the computer the rest of the year! At least you were able to get up to this point anyway.

**filthylittlemudblood:** Yep, I could see it happening as well!

**Katie Grim:** Hey thanks for the comments, I like how they don't move too quickly either. I didn't realise that there are probs with teh review button but, I hope that hasn't deterred others from reviewing! This is just in response to an email you sent me, yep, I have seen a kangaroo, they are actually considered pests to some cos they eat a lot of crops and stuff and can kill dogs. What they do, they run around getting chased by a dog then run into a dam or another water catchment, river etc, and cos dogs can't stand up in the water, the kangaroo will hold their heads under the water. Cruel and horrible but that is a kangaroo for you, not the cute and furry animal that people around the world believe them to be.

To everyone else who msg'ed, thank you for the well-wishes! It was awesome to hear how the story is going and all. But enough talking now, here is Chapter 17.

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**Chapter 17: Truce**

It seemed that both Draco and Granger had silently agreed to disagree about the problems regarding house politics and house points because they were not mentioned again. Instead, the following days were spent mainly in the study for Draco. He had developed quite an interest in the wars that Granger spoke of – World War I and II. As she had said earlier, and as he had thought himself, the more he knew in the Muggle World, the more likely he would fit in if the occasion arose. Besides that, learning about Muggle history was an entirely new concept to him. He even found similarities between the politics behind the wars as well as the battles themselves, with the exception of the Muggle artillery, of course. Instead of using wands, which they obviously couldn't, they used heavy munitions.

Granger came in every so often to help him look for some books or point some out that might be of some good use. Draco was glad of the company when Granger popped into the room, much to his own surprise. Not that he particularly cared for her to know that little detail. However, after that day shopping, he couldn't quite get the thought of her out of his head. She had reverted back to her normal everyday clothes but there was a different air about her. Lately, she had also seemed less know-it-all and a lot more human, even though they were speaking about a topic that she knew a lot more about than him. She wasn't quite so forceful about her familiarity with history; instead, she was quite informative unless she didn't know it herself.

At night times, Robert usually asked Draco what things he had come across that day, then gave him further insight into why things occurred and the outcomes from them. During these times, Granger kept quiet; obviously not wanting to interrupt the lesson about her own sort. She even seemed to be quite surprised by some of the things Robert said.

By Wednesday night, Draco had gained quite a lot of information that would in turn give him a good grasp of why World War II happened, according to Granger.

After dinner, Draco went back into the library to read up more on the wars. Soon after he sat down, Granger came in and sat on the arm of the other leather chair.

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.

Inwardly glad for the company, he responded with a non-committal, "If you want to."

She slid into the chair and opened up the book that she had been holding in her hands. Draco glanced at her as she did this but she did not seem to notice. They continued to read their respective stories in peace.

After some minutes, Granger broke the silence. "I like this one," she said, out of the blue.

"What?" Draco asked, unsure of whether he missed something.

"This book. You know, 'The Chronicles of the Tides'? Your book?" She looked at him funnily.

"Oh. Oh yeah." He continued reading his book.

He didn't see her studying him; otherwise he would have said something. Nor did he see her smile to herself before going back to her own book.

They were silent for some time before Granger interrupted again.

"Malfoy?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Could you please look at me when I ask you? It's kind of a personal question."

He put the book down and turned to face her. "Fire away."

"Why do you want to read up on Muggle history?"

He had to ponder a response. It certainly wasn't quite the question he was expecting. Then again, he wasn't really sure what question he was expecting. After a minute in thought, he decided on a suitable answer.

"So as I could keep up appearances."

"Is that the only reason?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"It kind of seemed out of the blue that you wanted to know about it, that's all."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, but I was just curious when you said you were interested in it."

She went back to her book, leaving Draco to ponder where she was going with this. He sat still, brow furrowed and wondered how the hell she could suddenly forget what they had just been talking about. He certainly couldn't.

"Why did you ask?" he inquired.

She looked up at him for a second before putting her book down beside her. Turning back to face him, she answered earnestly, "Because I'm still finding it difficult to understand that you would want to find out about the world I originally come from."

Draco sat back in his own chair and considered what she'd said. _Was I really that awful during the last few years?_

Memories of his encounters with her at Hogwarts came flooding back to him; calling her Mudblood – the cruellest name for a Muggle-born – time and time again, throwing the hex at her that made her front teeth grow monstrously, continuously hounding her in the corridors and especially when he was involved with the Inquisitorial Squad, and last but certainly not least, the image of Granger as she entered the Great Hall at the Yule Ball. It was the only time in the previous six years at Hogwarts that Draco found himself incapable of throwing an insult towards her. He hadn't thought about that night since then but at the time and especially now, he couldn't believe how pretty Granger looked. It made him feel worse for everything that he had done to her. It was true; he really had been a complete arsehole to her during their first six years.

_She has a point._

Draco leaned forward on the chair and rested his arms on his legs. Looking at the floor, he chose his next words very carefully.

"Granger, I have absolutely no idea what to say to you. I can only say that yes, I am interested in finding out more about what happened in Muggle history for more reasons than to simply fit in." It was only after he finished talking that he looked back at her. She only looked back in slight wonder.

"Oh?"

"Yes. As I've said before, any history is interesting. I know you must find this hard to believe but it's true."

"I'm starting to believe it more and more but it's still very surreal."

"I know why you would feel like that."

"I don't know if you do, Malfoy."

"I do," he insisted. "I'm not saying that I understand but I can see it from your point of view."

Granger sighed and leaned on the arm of her chair. "Malfoy, you've said some awful things to Ron, Harry and I during our time at school. It's not as if I can just forget them the instant you start to live here."

"I know that. I didn't expect you to. If it's any consolation, I really appreciate what you and your family have done for me, Granger. I know it must have been difficult to accept."

Instead of feeling embarrassed at this, it made Draco feel better. Words really couldn't describe how much he was grateful for their hospitality. Of all people, a family of Muggles was showing him respect and keeping him from being killed.

This statement also seemed to have some affect on Granger. She smiled, something that Draco was beginning to like.

"Thanks, Malfoy. Admittedly, it certainly hasn't been as bad as what I was expecting it to be."

"Yeah, I know. I thought that perhaps I would die when I first found out I was coming here." He grinned, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well don't think that it was a walk in the park for us, either," she retorted jokingly. "I won't deny the fact that I was quite furious and upset when I first heard but Dumbledore seemed set in his way that it wasn't so much as a request, but a command that we were to accept you over summer. There aren't many times where I would question Dumbledore's judgement. He is rarely wrong and on this occasion, it is no different."

"So you finally see that do you?"

Granger hesitated before giving a response. "Yes, it appears so. I also knew that if you had have turned into one of You-Know-Who's pawns then I would have been even more annoyed, knowing I could have done something about it. For the record though, I was eagerly awaiting the chance to see you out of your element and especially without those two great buffoons monitoring your every move." She grinned again.

"Yes," he agreed. "It does grow a little tiresome when they don't know when to go away. Well actually, Crabbe is the brainier out of the two and knows when to interfere and when not to. I can't say the same for Goyle. Oi, you were having a go at me, weren't you?"

She smiled mischievously. "It took you long enough to realise. Really Malfoy, you seem to have lost your touch."

Draco smirked. "Only because you stole it from me."

This only caused her to break out into hysterics. Soon Draco was following suit; the first time he had truly laughed for a long time. Of all people, it was Granger who had got this out of him but that didn't bother him; it felt good.

They sat in the study for a good few minutes, both unable to speak. Draco had tears pouring down his face which he wiped at with the sleave of his T-shirt unsuccessfully. Granger's face was scarlet and she was doubled over in her chair. It was she who recovered the quickest.

"I believe you just got it back again," she joked.

"Yeah, good thing too," he retorted.

There was a momentary pause in which both of them were still catching their breaths and getting over the laughing fit that engulfed both of them only moments before. In this time, Draco realised that he owed Granger at least an apology for his past actions. He knew it wouldn't make up for the things that he did to her and those idiot friends of hers, but he felt that it was the right thing to do.

"Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I owe you an apology."

Granger's still red face looked at him in confusion. "Sorry?"

"For all the things I did back in earlier years. I never realised how bad they were until recently."

"Oh, right."

"You said before that what I did was pretty awful," he continued. "I know that as well and I feel, considering what you and your family have done for me, I owe you for it. I'm sorry."

Granger's eyes grew wide. "You're apologising?"

He smirked. "I just did, didn't I?"

"Well yeah, I guess."

He had to say something else. "Granger, I'm not asking for forgiveness but I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for the things I said and did to you."

She hesitated, grasping for words. "I don't know what to say, Malfoy. I must say, it's a bit of a shock, really. But I do appreciate the fact that you are saying this."

"I just thought you had a right to know, that's all."

"Yeah, thanks." Granger still looked somewhat surprised but continued on. "Well, I'm sure when it sinks in I'll be able to forgive you. Now I'm still struggling, I'm afraid."

"It doesn't matter. I just thought that perhaps we could call some kind of truce."

"What, like wipe the slate clean and start again?"

"Er, if that's what starting afresh means, then yes."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Malfoy but I'm going to have to wait until this sinks in just a little bit more."

He looked down at his hands then back up to her. "It's alright, I understand," he said quietly.

"Thank you."

Granger got up from her chair and headed for the door, leaving Draco to wonder what would happen from then on. She looked back at him, giving him a sympathetic look and continued out the door.

Soon afterwards, he got up from his own chair and went upstairs to get ready for bed. He wasn't sure what to do exactly; he was sure that Granger would come around in due time but for the moment, it was obviously best to leave her alone so as not to push the topic.

Lying in bed, Draco thought about his and Granger's conversation. It was probably their best one yet, given that there was no animosity between them; not even in jest. He relaxed enough that he thought he could go to sleep without too much trouble.

_What's the time? Great, it's 2:13am. So much for sleeping._

Try as he did, Draco could not get to sleep, even though it was 10:45 when Granger left him in the study to go to bed. He could not comprehend why he was still awake; it was not as if the conversation that they had had that night was particularly nasty or anything because in reality it was quite the opposite. Okay, the last matter that was discussed was something quite important for both of them but he didn't think that it should render him deprived of sleep. Draco had told himself that Granger would make up her mind in due time. She was a smart girl and he couldn't expect her to forgive him straightaway for taunting her throughout their first six years. He knew that she would want to think about it, so he was prepared for her answer, even though he would have preferred that it be something else. Yet for some reason, he found that he could not get to sleep.

Resolving to do something about it, he turned the lamp on beside his bed and picked up 'Casino Royale'. It was quite soothing and it kept his mind from wandering. The book was considerably easy to read as Granger had said. Even though he was researching the World Wars during the day, he entered the world of fiction at night-time. The book was nearly finished and soon he would be able to tell Granger that he had finished another Muggle text, feeling quite amazed at the format and content of it.

_Granger!_

His mind strayed back to her almost unconsciously and quite seamlessly from the scene portrayed in the novel. Soon, he realised that he had been reading the same page almost three times. If he kept this up, there would be no way he could finish the book.

_Bollocks! Why can't I finish anything?_

Annoyed, he went to start reading the page again. Not long after, a sudden knock on his door frightened the death out of him and made him nearly fall out of the bed. Catching his breath, he put the book down, got out of bed and went to open the door. He could only guess as to who would be standing there at that hour; it certainly wasn't going to be her parents.

Granger stood outside the door looking tired and slightly ruffled. "I'm sorry, Malfoy but I saw your light on and I wondered whether I could talk to you."

"Er, yeah, okay."

He stood aside from the door to let her into the room. She went and sat down onto the beanbag and he went back to the bed.

"I couldn't sleep."

He smirked. "That figures."

"I couldn't help but think about the conversation beforehand. I really wanted to think it over and have an answer tomorrow but unfortunately, I couldn't."

"Hmm, I can't deny that I was thinking about it too."

"Couldn't you sleep either?"

"Well, I am awake, aren't I?" he smirked.

She rolled her eyes and continued on. "I guess not then. Anyway, I just thought that perhaps I could talk to you about it."

"Okay."

"I thought it would take a lot longer than this to go over what you said and everything else. Although since I've been thinking about it during these last few hours, I guess I won't have to think about it tomorrow, seeing as I went over everything now."

This little statement utterly confused Draco. Granger's words didn't entirely seem like English but he didn't interrupt her.

She pressed on. "I wanted to wait until tomorrow to give you a response but I just couldn't get to sleep unless I spoke to you. No matter how much it bothers me to say this so soon, I need to." She paused to draw breath. "You've done some pretty horrible things to us in the past, Malfoy, particularly me. On the other hand, I really didn't think that you would ever apologise for those actions and sound convincing while you were at it. I guess what I'm saying here is that you seemed genuinely sorry for what happened, so okay Malfoy, I forgive you."

Throughout this, Draco sat quietly, listening to Granger spill her thoughts of the conversation. Yet the last three words that she spoke were not exactly what he had been expecting. Especially since it was only that night that he had apologised to her. He couldn't help but feel overjoyed at this; Granger had forgiven him for everything that he had done. He knew he really didn't deserve it but she had done so anyway.

He smiled, a big smile that went from ear to ear. Granger grinned back, obviously happy with his response but said nothing.

"Thanks Granger, really."

Her eyes went dark and serious for a moment. _Oh God, she was only joking._

"I have one request though," she stated.

_Damn, what's that? I thought everything was fine!_

"What's that?" he asked darkly.

"That if we are to call a truce, that we call each other by our first names. I think that's fair."

Draco sighed in relief. He was thinking he may have had to grovel for her forgiveness.

"Okay, that sounds fair."

"Good." She got up from the beanbag, almost falling back into it at one point. "Well, perhaps I should at least try to get back to sleep."

Draco was lost in thought at this statement. He didn't think he would get back to sleep after this chat because now he was wide awake.

"Yeah. Maybe."

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Say, I have my broom over behind my suitcase. Fancy a night flight?"

* * *

**Comments:**

Well, none for this chapter it seems. Strange concept but hey, any questions, queries, anything, just lemme know. See y'all!


	18. Night Flight

Wow, what a massive response to one chapter! Hence the reason why there is another-y up so soon, I figure you guys deserve it after being so patient with my other chapters... :-) But there might be a bit of a gap b/w Chapters, just cos I still need to write some more.

So, once again this chapter hasn't been beta'ed but I did just go over it quickly so it has had a few small changes. Just bear with me on that.

Won't crap on any longer but instead I'll to your** comments** and stuff.

**Darkwing731:** Well, I was lucky I guess in that my beta simply offered cos I said that I didn't have one in one of the earlier chapters. If you put the word out, you might catch a bite. I completely agree with the way that people do the whole thing so so soon! It shits me as well. I know I said that there is a fine line between love and hate but there really IS a line when talking about Hermione and Draco. It takes time for something like their relationship to warm up. BTW, thanks for the review!

**FlairVerona:** This chapter should be a good response to your comment, I think.

**Steelo:** It kind of shits me that Tom Felton is over 3 years younger than me, he is 17, nearly 18 and I am 21, crap! But that doesn't mean I can't still have a perve on him... hahaha:-D He's great.

**Luna:** I like how Harry and Ron aren't around as well. I have read some good books with them in it but truthfully, I think that it would be really difficult to create any form of original story with these two in it with the others in it as well, and secondly, I wanted these two to be the primary characters. But the other two do make an appearance later on, but I won't be saying anything more on that.

**KellyRiddle88:** Vous êtes française? Moi, je peux parler le français, donc, si vous voudriez écrire vos "reviews" en français, je pourrai les comprendre. Votre grammaire anglais n'est pas mal alors, je pense qu'à lire ( ? – mon grammaire n'est pas exactement bien également) les histoires dans une autre langue, c'est une chose très « cool ». Je dis « félicitations », parce que je trouve que c'est pas vraiment facile.

**harryluvzginny:** Lol, yeah I realise that I have only uploaded 17 chapters (now 18) in close to 7 months. Ah well, hopefully that will change soon.

**superuki:** hahaha! Yeah I know it is too, although funny you should mention that, cos I was still really unsure on whether to make them get together or not. I would still like to write a story where they don't get together.

**heather:** Wow, that means a lot! I'm waiting (along with the rest of the world) for the next book to come out as well, so I'm trying to get my story done as well as catch up with the stories that I have previously read. PS. I'll take note about Voldemort, too.

**DarkFadingMemory:** I hope you get up to this stage cos I believe that a few people are like that!

**Spooky2:** You read it in one go? That's awesome! This is why I thought I would upload so quickly, cos people have stuck with me and also for those who feel compelled to read it in one sitting, it's cool!

**rayolis:** Same again, I can't believe people have read this in one go, that's so cool! I won't repeat myself cos I would only say exactly the same as I did for the above review, but it really means a lot. And yep, you might be onto something, tho it was going to happen sooner or later.

To everyone else who reviewed, thank you so much, I love getting them! Hope this suffices in terms of time wise. I love getting reviews and I love hearing how this is going. But it might be a little bit before I update, anyway, onto Chapter 18!

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**Chapter 18: Night Flight**

It was quite strange really; Hermione had wanted to go to sleep and think the matter over at 10:45 that night except that she was unable to get to sleep. It seemed that sleep would not come unless she accepted Draco's apology. It was not everyday that a Malfoy admitted a wrongdoing so when it happened, it had completely thrown her. Hermione had wanted to forgive Draco then and there due to the sincerity in his voice that showed he was indeed sorry for what he'd done to her and her friends. This touched Hermione in a way that she was unsure of but at the same time, she was still very wary that it was indeed 'Malfoy' who was apologising for his actions. She knew that it would have been a good idea to think things through, simply because it showed that she wouldn't be at his every beck and call but also that she wasn't just going to forgive every horrid thing that he had done then and there. For this reason, she would have much preferred that this conversation had taken place in the morning rather than at 2:30 at night.

Still, when she did accept his apology, Draco had shown genuine happiness. His face contorted into a big smile, something that she knew he hadn't done in front of many people. This made Hermione smile along with him, knowing that he was obviously relieved and glad that she accepted. Furthermore, he seemed to oblige in her request that they use their first names to complete the truce, only he hadn't used her name yet. Although he didn't call her Granger either. That, at least, was a start.

So it was with some shock when Draco asked just then if she wanted to go on a flight. Having never been a terrific flyer herself, Hermione had never known what it was like to truly enjoy the wonders of flying. When else was she going to get an opportunity like this? Nor when was she ever going to get a talented flyer to show her what it was like?

She looked at him in surprise. "What, now?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, why not? No one will see us."

"I've never been good at flying."

"But I am."

"You'd take me up, tandem?"

"It's been done before. It's alright, I'll be careful."

"Hmm, you promise?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, but if anything happens, I swear I'll hex you to next year."

"You're forgetting," he muttered, narrowing his eyes at her and smiling, "that you can't do magic over summer."

_Blast it! He's right._

"Ugh!" Hermione covered her face with her hands. "Alright, but please take it easy."

"I will, don't worry."

Draco appeared to be serious in the matter, which proceeded to make Hermione relax. He walked over to his broom and picked it up. Hermione watched him deftly hoist it over his shoulders in a fireman's hold and felt her heart pick up speed. Turning away so that he wouldn't notice, she quickly walked out of the room in front of him, motioning for him to remain quiet as they walked down the staircase.

"Hermione," Draco's hushed voice cut into her thoughts. Hearing him use her name was strange yet incredibly satisfying. She felt her heart flutter in response, much to her annoyance. He had only ever used her first name on one other occasion; when they went shopping the other day and he called her that in front of her mother. It seemed like he was resigned in the request of the truce, so she only thought it reasonable that she use his as well.

"Draco?"

Since it was dark in the hallway, Hermione didn't see the start in Draco's walk at the mention of his first name.

"Where's your cat?"

"Oh, he's gone out hunting for the night. It's okay; so long as we stay quiet, Mum and Dad won't be able to hear us."

"Good."

Reaching the back door, they both put on some shoes and continued to walk outside into the backyard.

"Well," Draco said matter-of-factly. "This is it. Are you ready for some of the most fun you could have on a broom?"

"Er, in a way."

He smiled. "It's alright. As I said, I'll go slow to begin with and I certainly won't do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable."

"Alright then."

He removed his broom from his shoulder and held it at an angle beside him. "You get on first, Hermione. I'll get on behind you."

"Is that normally how it's done?" she asked questioningly.

"Well, you say that you aren't a very good flyer and this _is_ a racing broom. It goes much quicker than the brooms at Hogwarts. Those are only basic brooms, not even the same as the Comet range. Anyway, I thought that perhaps you might feel safer in front of me rather than behind. Maybe later on you can shift behind me, but for now, it'll be better for you to sit in front of me."

"Well, okay. Just remember to go safely with me."

Malfoy scoffed. "I believe I've just been telling you that that's all I'll do tonight."

Hermione groaned. "Okay."

She mounted the broom and held onto it while Draco climbed on behind her. Immediately, she could feel the warmth of his body gently pressing against her as he shifted to get comfortable. As he reached around her body to grab the broom, she flinched.

"What are you doing?" she asked in alarm.

"How else am I meant to fly the broom?" he retorted, a little defensively. "As good a flyer as I am, even _I_ can't fly with no hands all the time, especially with another person on board. Hermione, trust me on this."

Hermione only nodded in response. If truth be told, the feeling of Draco reaching around her holding onto the broom handle made her feel protected and safe, even though it was a bit startling to begin with. She could feel his breath sweep softly across her neck as he finally settled down on the broom.

"You alright now?" he whispered into her ear, causing her to close her eyes at the gentleness of his tone.

"Yes." Her voice matched his for volume.

"Okay, off we go."

Draco kicked off the ground, causing them both to shoot up into the air at what felt like the speed of sound. The force of this caused Hermione to push back into him, making her forever thankful that he was behind her and not the other way around. He maintained his grip on the handle and gently guided the broom forward, eventually levelling out and maintaining the same altitude.

The air rushed past them swiftly, getting louder as the broom's speed increased. Before long, Hermione realised that they were now about ninety degrees from when they first started, not knowing when and how exactly it was that Draco had turned the broom around. They were heading towards the night lights of London, still miles away but within sight at that height. Draco manoeuvred the Nimbus in giant circles and in and out of trees, allowing Hermione a feel for flying as well as to gain trust in him. Throughout this, she could feel his presence right behind her, maintaining her feeling of protection in a world that was quite unknown to her.

After about ten minutes, he whispered, "How are you feeling?"

She closed her eyes briefly at the sound of his voice. _Why is his voice having such an affect on me just now?_

"I'm okay if you want to try something else."

"Only if you want to."

"I'll be fine. I think I trust you enough."

Draco laughed softly in her ear. "Alright, you said so. But whatever you do, hold on."

At this, he raised the front of the broom handle up, causing them to rise steeply and keep climbing, when suddenly Hermione realised that they were going past the vertical. Not two seconds later, they were upside down, at the invert of a loop-the-loop. Hermione could feel the force of this sudden change in pressure on her whole body, nearly causing her to throw up. Almost as quickly, they were on the downwards slope.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed, raising one hand off the broom handle over her face, causing Draco to laugh in response.

"How was that?" he asked.

"I'm never letting you do that again!"

"I believe you did say I could do that, didn't you?"

"I didn't think you were going to do that!"

"Well, now you know. Do you want to stay up here or do you want to get down?"

_I hope he isn't disappointed._

"No, I'll stay up here. Just can you let me know what you're going to do before you do it?"

"That's fine."

They flew quietly and quickly through the night sky for a fair while longer with Draco testing Hermione's courage by performing numerous Seeker movements. After some time, Hermione could feel his gentle warmth being released. Turning her head in wonder, Hermione saw him scouting something through the air behind them.

"What's wrong, Draco?" she asked.

"Castor is back there."

Hermione tried to look where Draco was talking about. All she could see was the dark silhouette of the trees in her backyard.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But I can't see anything."

"Hermione, how do you think I've been able to fly up here at night? I can see in the dark fairly well, providing of course that there is sufficient moonlight, which tonight, there is. Not only that but years of being the Slytherin Seeker has improved my eyesight."

"Oh."

"Anyway, you haven't met Castor, have you?"

"No, I don't believe I have. Were you going to go over to him then?"

"If you want to."

"Yes I do."

They flew back towards the house where Castor was perched in a tree, watching the two teenagers flying towards him. Draco stopped short of the tree, hovering in mid-air to allow Castor to alight from the tree and onto the end of his broom.

"Castor," he said formally, "this is Hermione. You've seen her a few times but now you have formally met her."

"Hello Castor," she said softly, stroking the bird's plumage. "You are very beautiful, aren't you?"

"He is exactly the same as his brother."

"Really? He has a brother?"

"Yes, they were twins, a bit of a rarity for owls. Normally there are maybe two or three that look similar but never the same. He also has a very close bond with Pollux."

"Castor and Pollux. That's cute. Well, it certainly suits them, if that is the case."

"Yes, they get along handsomely."

Hermione saw Draco raise his left arm off the broom handle. Putting it down again, he muttered, "It's nearly 4. Do you think we ought to go back to the house?"

_What? That means that we've been out here for over an hour._

"That's a shame but it will start to become light sometime soon. I think we should."

They said goodbye to Castor, who hooted in response, and flew back down towards the Granger's back porch. Quietly, they took their shoes off and tiptoed back inside. As they made their way to the staircase, using only the moonlight shining in the windows as a guide, Draco nearly knocked over a lamp in the hallway, causing a bit of a loud noise and the two of them to gasp in terror. However it appeared that it did not wake Robert and Jane up. Sighing in relief, they continued up the staircase.

They reached Draco's door first. He opened up the door, letting the light from his lamp to filter into the hallway. Hermione studied his slightly ruffled appearance. His hair was going in a few different directions from having been aerated outside but it did not hinder on his looks. If anything, it made him look more boyish and cute.

He smiled at her. "I find that flying helps me get to sleep, maybe it might for you too."

Hermione could only smile. To be truthful, the experience left her speechless. Especially now with Draco standing in his doorway, looking the way he did, it was quite difficult for her to come up with a response. Eventually, and after a bit of a funny look from him, she found her voice.

"Thanks Draco. I'll never forget it."

This caused Draco to smile again. "You're welcome."

She turned towards her own room. Looking back, Draco was still standing in his doorway watching her carefully. Wanting to know what he was thinking, she decided against asking and instead resolved to simply go to bed.

"Goodnight, Draco."

He grinned. "Goodnight, Hermione."

* * *

**Comments:**

Was that cool? I love this, a bit cliche maybe but cliches are bound to happen when trying to get these two hooked up, and besides, it IS Draco, the number one Harry Potter boy in the series! In my opinion anyway...

Any questions, lemme know. Catch you all!


	19. The Day After

Hey all! I am up over the 200 review mark! That's pretty cool, I think. I was pretty happy with the response o' course, thanks everyone! I hope this chapter wasn't too long - I've got exams at the moment and it's been hard to even think about anything else, knowing that I have had a lot of revision to do... But I digress...

This chapter wasn't beta'ed, and they probably won't be for a while either cos I just found out that my beta is embarking on an around the world trip that is to last about five months which should be bloody good fun at least. Although I will just have to go over my chapters thoroughly in that time.

Anyway, **comments:**

Ravynsword: Good to see you still with me! In answer to when Draco is going to see soccer/football, that is the next chapter, I think. Today (according to the story) is Thursday so there is only a day to wait. Re: the other comments, it really means a lot, thank you.

The Lord Of pencil: Yeah, that woulda bin funny to see him in the Dursley's place, but there wouldn't be a HGDM potential romance otherwise... ;-)

Blood-Red-Pen-Tip: Hmm, I started reading the books again in anticipation for the next one (like everyone else I guess) and haven't come across anywhere where it says when they are allowed to use magic. The only reference I can think of (now, after writing the chapter) is Fred and George when they keep apparating downstairs. Oh well. Thanks for the reference anyway, will take note when I'm reading teh other books... ;-)

Silent-Serpent: Something pretty big is about to happen that will ensure that they get out of the house again.

Darkwing731: She has ridden a broom before, but I don't think that she would be very good at it. Personal opinion, given that she was very nervous about the first time flying in PS/SS. But she rode the broom when they were trying to catch the key under the trapdoor. But I agree, I can't see her being a world class chaser or anything. Onto the next bit, thanks for the big review by the way! ;-) I feel funny writing them calling each other Draco and Hermione, although I feel that for both of them to progress in character, they kind of need it. But I think they needed a truce before they could do it. And I think this chapter will definitely acknowledge the previous night in more ways than one... (I like that last comment by the way... :-) )

mugglemom: Hey that's pretty nice to know... thanks!

harryluvzginny: I generally write a few chapters then post one at a time and continuing to write at the same time. But I always make sure I am a few chapters ahead of what I've posted, that is why you don't always get chapters posted. It's so that I can re-edit some chapters if I have to but still get them uploaded. Does that make sense? In other words, what you guys read is not what part of the story I'm writing. That's another reason why I know what's happening, but also cos I have a fairly clear plotline in my head as well. This chapter ups the antics a bit, even moreso than the last...

Steelo: I'm really anticipating the scene where Hermione comes into the entrance hall for the Yule Ball. It's the one point in the series so far where Draco failed to make a barb at her... I so hope they put that little bit in! It would show what an impression she has made on everyone.

Angela: Wow, that's pretty cool to hear. I was just hoping I wasn't making it too detailed, but at least you think I haven't.

chica91: She will be talking to Harry shortly...

SushiFelton: I only hope it hasn't stopped you from doing more important things! Look forward to your reviews.

KellyRiddle88: C'est bien pour moi également parce que je peux parler plus en français... et bien le lire aussi. Je vous remercie pour vos  
mots de confiance... J'espère que mon histoire continue à vous plaire et tout le monde…

Stegijsa: Hey, that's so cool what you wrote. Thanks for that, I really appreciate it.

lilithofunderworld: Too cute, yeah I know but hey! He needs a bit of fluff in his life, what with being part of Lucius' world. Not that I feel that he was very hardly done by but I can't see Lucius being a great father figure. He's just not very emotional.

walk.in.the.rain: I'm liking that fact as well but we are still only in the middle of his second week there. I always kept that in mind but maybe I should kick things on a bit. I have plans for these two however... ;-)

I'm getting a few people saying they prefer Draco... I love his character because he is the bloke/guy at high school that was a bastard to everyone, thought he was awesome, but you still kind of secretly admired him, or maybe that was just me... ;-) He has some very quick-witted lines in the book as well. It's very hard to think of something new all the time for his character. I don't ahve anything against Harry, I just prefer Draco. Thanks to everyone else who responded to the last chapter, I had so many that I hope those I haven't answered or commented on aren't too disappointed.

Anyway, onto chapter 19...

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 19: The Day After**

It was with regret that Draco woke up the next morning. He had had a wonderful dream following the night flight with Hermione, reliving the joy of her surprise and excitement of being on a broom with an accomplished rider.

In truth, he hadn't expected it to be so good. Well, he knew it would be fun but really, all he had really wanted out of it was to enable him to go back to sleep and thought that Hermione might like it for that reason as well. He couldn't have predicted it being as intimate as it proved to be. From the first minute when they both hopped on the broom to the moment they got off again, Draco felt a closeness to her that he had not felt in a very long time; not even with Pansy.

He first noticed it when he had climbed on the broom behind her. For her sake, he had chosen to keep back a little so as not to invade her privacy, only this proved a little difficult seeing as he then had to reach around her to hold onto the broom. He had felt her tense up at the contact of his arms and to his great annoyance (at himself, not at Hermione), he felt his heart sink. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable in his presence, especially sitting so close to her. Although she did seem to relax a little after she asked him about it.

When they took off, the sudden force of the broom leaving the ground had thrust her backwards into him, making him thankful that he had been holding on to it rather tightly. This new closeness created an entirely different intimacy between them which Draco felt and wondered whether Hermione had felt it too. After this, her scent had become more apparent, slowly rising up into his nostrils and tantalising him. All throughout the flight, he had been very tempted to hold her closer than what was really necessary, but had then thought better of it. He hadn't wanted her to scream in fright and tell him to land immediately. The thing was; that night flight ranked as one of the best things that he had ever done.

_Ugh! I want to go back to sleep!_

Try as he might, Draco couldn't fall back asleep and knew that it was pointless even trying. Slowly he got up and got ready for another day.

Making his way down to the kitchen, he noticed that Hermione's door wasn't open, indicating that she had not yet woken.

"Good morning, Draco," Jane called, not looking up from her lunch-making.

"Morning, Jane," he muttered, settling down to a big bowl of cereal and a coffee. He didn't normally drink coffee but knew that after the dream he had, to prevent himself from wanting to go to sleep for the rest of the day, he was going to need it.

"Say Draco," she looked up at him. "What time did you and Hermione go to bed last night?"

_Uh oh, don't tell me she heard us._

"I dunno. About 10:30-10:45, why?"

"Because she hasn't surfaced yet. I thought that she would be up by now."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure she will be soon."

"Well, if she doesn't get up by the time I leave, can you wake her?"

"Yes, okay."

"Good. Thanks for that."

"No worries."

Jane continued to make her lunch while Draco ate his cereal. Noticing that Robert had left his paper from yesterday on the end of the table, he reached over to grab it. Not that he knew Robert that well, but he normally put it out into the recycling bin before he went to work. This didn't bother Draco on previous occasions because he didn't consider Muggle news to be of any interest to him, although he still wondered why Robert didn't throw it out. Perhaps he forgot, but he normally had a set routine.

Eyeing the paper curiously, he opened it up and read some of the articles that appeared to be the main stories:

"_Bill Gates named richest man in the world"_

_Pfft! Right. What else is there?_

He flipped the pages again.

"_Teenage mother found after four weeks of being missing"_

_Hmm. Why is the fact that she's teenage of any relevance? She was missing, for Christ's sake! Isn't that the only important thing?_

Yet this kept his interest going a little longer. He was half-way through his bowl of cereal when he realised that it was completely mushy from having left it so long. Groaning inwardly, he resolved to eating soggy muesli and turned the page again.

"_Is Dodi good enough for our Queen of Hearts?"_

_Who?_

He had heard that Muggles had their own form of aristocracy, but he didn't think anyone would be actually called 'The Queen of Hearts'. Reading on, he realised that this so-called Queen was actually called Princess Diana. Apparently she had been married to the future King of England, until he went behind her back with someone who was more to his age. Draco couldn't see why anyone would do that though; the picture of her (or who he thought was her) in the paper wasn't bad. In fact, considering that she was probably 20 years older than he, she still looked quite pretty. However, the hairy brute beside her was not so appealing. He figured that he must have been the 'Dodi' in the article. There were also two teenage boys standing beside her, who Draco understood to be her sons.

_Might ask Gr – Hermione about this 'Princess Di' later. It sounds as though she's quite popular._

He managed to finish his cereal without too much cringing and drank the rest of his coffee. As he was putting his crockery on the sink, Jane returned from upstairs and walked out into the kitchen.

_When did she have time to go upstairs?_

Utterly confused, Draco was about to ask where she had come from when Jane said, "Right, I had better go now; otherwise I'm going to be very late for work. I can't believe Hermione still hasn't got up yet. Well, can you do it now, Draco?"

"Yes, I had just finished breakfast anyway."

"Thanks for that. Have a good day then, won't you?"

"I will. See you tonight."

"Bye."

Jane left out the front door, leaving Draco alone in the kitchen. He actually wondered how Hermione would react this morning, considering the last time he had seen her, all he really wanted to do was something that he knew would earn him a cold, hard slap across the face. Then again… no, she wouldn't be interested. She had only just accepted his apology; he couldn't expect that she'd want to be outright friends with him, let alone anything else. Still, they had been on quite friendly terms, even before he apologised to her.

_Well, it's now or never._

Draco climbed the stairs and stopped just outside her room. Hesitating, he pressed his ear up against the door to hear any movements. There were none. Sighing, he knocked on the door and waited.

And waited.

He knocked again. Still, there didn't appear to be movement behind the door. Just as he was about to pound on the door in frustration, the door opened to reveal a very dishevelled Hermione, standing in her pyjamas looking extraordinarily sleepy.

"Could th- th- this have perhaps waited until I've had enough sleep?" she asked, yawning.

"Er, well, it's just that your mum asked me to wake you when she left," Draco responded blandly.

"Why, what time is it?"

"It's eight thirty."

"Bollocks, I really just want to go back to sleep."

"Didn't you sleep too well?"

"No, not really."

"Why is that?"

Hermione looked at him with a funny look on her face. Draco didn't know what this meant, only that she seemed to be hiding something.

"I just didn't realise how tired I was, that's all. I wouldn't mind a little more sleep."

"Oh. I slept pretty well."

"Did you? I don't know if it would be a good idea for me to go for a flight next time. It kind of got my adrenaline up and all I wanted to do was stay out."

"Well, maybe next time we can for a bit," he smiled at her. At least she had the grace to look sheepish.

"I don't know about that, but maybe we can go out somewhere else."

This was not the answer Draco was expecting. He looked away from her in surprise, trying desperately hard to think of something to say to stop it becoming an awkward pause. However, he had no success. Instead, it was Hermione who broke the tension.

"I better have a shower then."

Draco was still unable to think of what to say, so he resorted to simply walking back down the stairs. He didn't see Hermione's expression change to something resembling hurt, nor did he see the scowl that she produced afterwards.

He went into the study to continue his reading up on the Second World War. After four straight days of studying the topics, he was quite familiar with the politics behind them and why they occurred. Although today he was unable to put himself into the mind-frame of reading. He wanted to talk to Hermione more than what he had done that morning, but nothing would come out of his mouth after her comment about going out, something that completely frustrated him to no end.

Draco tried for close on an hour to take in the notes that were in front of him but all to no avail. He didn't think he should have just walked away but he didn't know what else to do. Still, Hermione hadn't surfaced from the bathroom. She hadn't had breakfast either; Draco knew because he would have heard her come down the stairs and rattling plates in the kitchen. It was plain obvious that she was doing some thinking of her own; otherwise he would have seen her by now.

At last, Draco heard the soft scuffling of her slippers on the kitchen tiles and the clattering of dishes. It distracted him somewhat; listening to her prepare breakfast and then eating. Finally, he heard the dishes being stacked on the sink and the padding of feet exiting the kitchen. It was at this point that he realised that he had been staring blankly at the page for the entire duration of her being in the kitchen. Frustrated to no end, he resorted to going upstairs into his own room to mope. Sitting in his beanbag, he suddenly remembered the last person to sit in it.

_Hermione…_

It really bothered him that he couldn't think of anything to talk about. This was not what usually happened; the last couple of weeks had proven that he could talk with her about a lot of things, even if some of this talk was actually arguments. He needed some excuse to go and talk to Hermione; in way of breaking the ice that had formed between them overnight. It was at this point that he heard something strike up in her room – the sound of music being played.

_Aah, perfect._

There were a few questions that had cropped up in his mind during his stay with the Grangers about her choice in music. Especially that time when he heard the metal-playing music the day that he received his mother's letter. Well, at least he had an excuse to talk to her.

Slowly rising from the beanbag, Draco made his way out of his room and went to the door of her room, the second time for the day that he was standing there.

After knocking somewhat loudly, Hermione opened the door marginally looking a little upset. Her face was rather red; from what, Draco didn't know.

"What?" she asked rather forcefully.

"Er, um… "

"Yes?"

"Hermione…"

"Yes?" her response was immediate.

"I was just wondering what it was that was playing. Your music, I mean. It's… different."

"Oh." Her voice faltered and she sounded quite disappointed.

"Can I come in?" he pushed on.

"Er, yes, I suppose so."

Hermione opened the door up further and stepped away, allowing for Draco to enter at his free will. As he walked in, he looked around the room; being only the second time in the course of two weeks that he had seen inside it. He finally made his way to the desk chair, deciding it was a safe place to sit without being too obtrusive. Hermione settled for her bed, sitting on it with both knees tucked up underneath her chin. The music continued to play from somewhere, prompting Draco to ask the question once more.

"What music is playing?"

Hermione answered softly, "Placebo, their self-titled album. The song is called 'Teenage Angst'."

"It's a little depressing, isn't it?"

"I didn't invite you in to make fun of my choice of music!" she retorted angrily.

"Well, I – look, okay, I didn't have to say that. But I've heard other music being played in here that sounded a little more cheerful than this. I'm guessing that it's Muggle music, considering I've never heard of it. Am I correct?"

"Yes, but I listen to music based on mood. I'm sure even you do that sometimes."

""Yes, I guess you're right. But I was wondering if you could perhaps show me some more. Something maybe a little more uplifting than this." He indicated to the room, still unsure of where the source of the music was.

"Placebo don't always play depressing stuff. It combines the sort of angsty stuff with other stuff. For instance, I'll play you another song."

She got her own remote control and pointed to what looked like a smaller version of the stereo in the lounge room. The song changed instantly to something more catchy than previously.

"This is called 'Nancy Boy'. It's one of the better songs on this album, actually."

"You're right; it does sound a little better. I do have one question, though."

"What's that?" Her mood had slightly changed from what it was when he first knocked on the door, but she was still really jumpy with responses, something that confused Draco.

"You were listening to something the other day that sounded like, well, metal being played but it sounded like a piano was involved as well. What was that?

"You aren't thinking of Rammstein, are you?"

"I don't know. Remember, I don't know the names of Muggle groups."

"True. Hold on, I'll play it." She got up from her bed, wandered across to the now apparent mini hi-fi and put something into the player. Instantly, the music changed to the sounds that he heard that time.

Listening intently, Draco responded, "Yes, this sounds like it."

They were both silent for a few minutes while the first track of the Herzeleid album played. When it finished, Hermione paused the player and looked at Draco.

"What about it then?"

"I was just intrigued that you would listen to it, that's all."

"Why? Because it's so heavy?"

"Well, yeah."

"Their music is different from anything I've heard. They combine guitars and drums with what you don't know, but it's called a keyboard. It's like an electric piano. But they use it as a synthesiser." Looking at Draco's face of confusion, she changed tactics. "It means that instead of just playing the sounds of a piano, they can make it sound like other instruments or concepts."

"It's certainly different, I'll give you that."

"Listen to this then." She changed the song to something further along the song-list. "This song is called 'Du Riechst So Gut', or 'You Smell So Good'."

_How appropriate._

The introduction was played by the keyboard that Hermione described, something that was a strange to listen to but still interesting. It was the same song that had enraptured Draco the time when he listened to it firstly. Upon listening to it from this vicinity, he realised, as with the first song, why it sounded so different from anything else he had previously listened to.

"This is German."

"Rammstein, the name of the band itself is German. In fact, all of their lyrics are in German. Here," she got up and walked towards him, handing him the CD cover. "You can read along with it if you want, not that you can probably understand but at least it gives you a better feel for the songs."

Draco took the pre-offered CD cover and opened it up. There were six German men standing there, wearing no shirts but army pants.

_Hmm, so _this_ is Rammstein. No wonder she likes them; they obviously appeal to the opposite sex as well._

"It's funny, but you don't need to understand the lyrics to listen to it," he said after a little bit.

"No, that's why I like them."

They were silent for a couple more minutes, listening to the other songs.

"Mother said that she went on exchange to Germany once," Draco said, after a bit.

"Really?" Hermione looked at him in wonder.

"When she was in her second-last year at Hogwarts. She took a year off to go to Germany for a holiday. She didn't tell me much about it; only that she enjoyed the trip but was sad to leave it behind. I get the feeling that she still misses it, the way she keeps saying how something or someone reminds her of the place. Certain smells, things, anything really." Draco contemplated what he had just said. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that a certain part of his mother was still in Germany, yet he couldn't understand why this was the case.

"It sounds as though she really bonded with some people of whatever, if it still affects her like that."

"Maybe."

"I can show you some other music if you want."

"Okay, I should get to know a little bit more."

The ice that had formed between them had fractured and was slowly crumbling. Hermione showed Draco a couple more bands, mainly British ones to show him his own country's musical exports.

"Here," Hermione indicated to the spot beside her on the bed, much to Draco's surprise. "it'll be easier to read the lyrics without me having to keep walking over to you."

Draco hesitated, saw that she made no reaction to his shock, and sighed. He moved cautiously over to the bed, sitting far enough away from her to not cause a sudden movement from her.

"This playing now is Oasis." She handed him the case.

He opened it up slowly and started to read the lyrics. It was at this moment that she leant over him and pointed to a particular song in the songbook. Draco looked down at her hand on the songbook, then to her arm attached to her hand and slowly made his way up to her face. She didn't look up for a bit but when she did, Draco froze, still looking at her. He didn't know what came over him, but he couldn't look away. Neither could Hermione, it seemed. He didn't know what overcame him, but he started to lean towards her slowly. She looked shocked, but remained silent and still.

His face was only four inches away from hers when suddenly she stood up from the bed and said, "I, uh, er, I think you'd better go, Draco."

Still sitting in the same position as just before she got up, he turned towards her in complete perplexity. She looked back at him with an unreadable expression on her face. She looked sad but confused and something else that Draco was unsure of. Although he knew that he shouldn't stay to try to work out what just happened.

He stood up, crossed carefully to the doorway without a sidewards glance in her direction and headed out the door.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Hermione stood still, completely unable to move from the spot that she'd occupied when she told Draco to leave her room. When he left, she saw that he didn't look once at her as he exited her room. Not that she could really blame him; he really went out on a limb. He tried to kiss her.

Draco Malfoy had tried to kiss her. Hermione Granger, know-it-all from Hogwarts, had just been almost kissed by the biggest Gryffindor hater since Professor Snape.

_Scratch that. Draco tried to kiss _me_, he obviously doesn't hate _all_ Gryffindors._

Before, the most unbelievable thing about Draco was the fact that he was being civil to her. Now, it was that he had just almost kissed her. And she stopped him. Why, she couldn't say.

She lowered her head in the realisation that she had just refused the Slytherin Prince. _Hmm, I bet he isn't used to that._ But she found herself cursing to no end at her stupidity. She didn't realise just how much she had wanted him to kiss her. Whether this was anything to do with who he was she didn't know. Actually, it occurred to her that regardless of his looks, she had previously not thought anything towards him except despise. So it was put down to the fact that she actually did feel something towards him, much to her great annoyance.

Hermione could still not work out what would have possessed him to do such a thing. Now, she knew that he would avoid her for as long as he had to; something that she thought wouldn't be a bad idea to reciprocate.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

That night at the dinner table, things were quite tense between the two teenagers. Hermione looked across at Draco every so often but found that he was doing his absolute best in ignoring her. In fact, he did not even look up from his meal the entire time.

"How was your day, you two?" Jane asked cautiously.

"Good," they both replied immediately, giving Jane the impression that the matter was finalised.

"That's good then," she responded quietly and went back to her meal.

Draco didn't even help Hermione to clean up afterwards. Hermione knew that this would probably happen so didn't question it when it did. However, she did not bank on Jane staying in the kitchen instead. Annoyed, she did her best to ignore her mother but found it to be quite difficult.

"Hermione, what happened today?" she asked.

"Er, I don't know Mum," Hermione mumbled.

""Well, obviously you do but I noticed that Draco did not look in your direction at all during dinner. When I asked how your day was, you both gave knee-jerk answers. Please, you can tell me about it."

Hermione sighed. "Alright but it was something that I was not prepared for."

"What was it?"

"Er, Draco tried to kiss me."

Instantly, Hermione saw her mother stiffen up at her answer and so she decided not to talk further on it. The only problem was, Jane was not so obliging.

"He what?"

"Draco tried –"

"No, I heard you the first time; I'm just finding it hard to believe."

"So am I, to be truthful."

"And what did you do?"

"I stopped him before it happened and told him that I thought it would be best if he left."

"Well, I'm glad you can look after yourself and not be pushed into things that you do not wish to do, however I can see now why he was so quiet. I must say, this news comes as a shock; I didn't think he would do that."

"Neither did I for that matter. I thought it would be best to leave him seeing as he was doing his best to avoid me so much. He really went out on a limb."

"Yes, he certainly did. I'm sure it will work itself out because by living under the same roof, it can't go on for much longer."

"I know that. I felt awful but it really threw me."

"I can see that. Just, for your own sake and for his, if he does decide to talk to you again, please respect that. I would say that you should talk to him but I think it would upset him. If you want, I won't mention any of this to him but treat him as I did previously."

"Thanks Mum. I think that would be a good idea."

By this stage they had finished cleaning up the kitchen so Jane left to go to the lounge-room and Hermione went back upstairs to her room. She stayed there for the rest of the night, wondering what on earth had possessed Draco to try to kiss her as well as wondering how and when this newly formed barrier was going to fall.

* * *

**Comments: **

Ooh, I'm aware that this chapter was probably a bit funnily written - I was writing it instead of doing work and I still had the work playing at the back of my head. Anyway, I hope this was okay, and Draco tried to kiss Hermione!

Anyway, dunno when I will be able to upload the next chapter - we will see. Must go to my exam. Toodles... ;-)


	20. Male Bonding

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated for about a month. Hope you all can forgive me! I didn't offer an excuse and I thought that I would be writing a bit more but I haven't been near my computer for a long time and when I was, I was only able to fix up Chapter 23. But next semester I'm not doing so many subjects so hopefully I will be able to write a lot more than I have been. As I've said, at least I think so anyway, I prefer to keep a few chapters ahead of what I upload so that if any changes need made, they can be done so without everyone reading something then having to re-read that chapter. Anyway, I hope you all can be patient cos this might be the last chapter that I post for a bit, but I hope to get mroe chapters written.

Better get to comments cos there were so many! Thank you to everyone who reviewed:-)

LadySnake: Haha, I agree with you wholeheartedly there...

xXWitchXx: I hope you ended up doing your assignment!

nljfs: It's funny that you mention Dean because he does actually get mentioned in this chapter. And yes, he's the West Ham fan.

Ravynsword: It would have been a good way to break the ice, and perhaps she can be shown some other music later on (Of course, I will cite you as the inspiration as well). For now, there is something else that occurs that ensures that they speak to each other... 'nuff said!

gboyary: Hey:-) Good to see you are still aboard, I thought I scared you off with the Judgment Day comment! Hahaha! ;-) Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

filthylittlemudblood: Yep, this is based in the summer holidays of 97, given that the school year for Sixth year was from 96-97, I'm pretty sure anyway. It kind of freaked me out that it was set then, but then I got used to it and thought that it would stay in canon if I set mine in that time as well. Hence all the references to music and incidents that occured during that time. In fact, I tried to make sure that this chapter was in the right period as well... you will see after reading it.

KellyRiddle88: Haha! Draco sera mieux plus tard, peut-etre... avec Hermione alors. Mais il y a une surprise pour Draco qui vient bientot... J'espere que votre journee faisait pas tant mal, et c'est bien que mon histoire vous a plu... :-) Je pense que ca va bien avec mon examen, je saurai dans quelques semaines.

SushiFelton: Yep, we ARE getting somewhere, and we will just keep going somewhere shortly! The next few installments/chapters are going to be rather large in the storyline, perhaps not for the better but a necessity... And thanks for the wellwishes re: my exam! I hope I did okay.

Piper-Willow-Destiny: That means a great deal when I hear that people are compelled to read it. Thank you.

Emma: Yeah, at least they are over now. That's good news bout my story! I like hearing that!

EmilyEB: Haha, well here is the next chapter, so hopefully it will satiate you for the time being!

Belle: I'm glad someone knows about The Office! I haven't given the American version a go yet, I kind of missed the pilot episode and anyway, am not a great fan of remakes, preferring the original. I will watch but usually prefer the original. I also love watching a lot of British movies, I dunno but they have a great sense of humour. I wondered how many people I would lose with Hermione listening to Rammstein, but I feel that the Herzeleid album isn't quite as rock/heavy as a lot of people would think. It's actually quite electronic in some songs. It's just that I like listening to them... ;-) This is probably one of the things that may not gell with her but anyway. If you watch their earlier film clips, they are awesome. And don't worry, there will be interaction b/w Harry and Ron later on, in fact, very soon.

jesska-14: Haha, I laughed reading your review, I agree with you!

40/16: If only it happened!

Alenor: She should have I know! But it had to happen like this... sorry!

seaweedqueen: I thought Jane would seem upset because of course despite saying that she was willing to help Draco out, she would still be protective of her daughter with the boy who had previously given her so much trouble.

lilithofunderworld: I kind of thought that Draco would need to have some kind of rejection in his life, cos as we all know, he could get any girl he wanted if he only showed them a little attention. He needed the rejection from the girl he desired because it would make him rethink his strategies... To be truthful, this was something I only thought of during the writing of this chapter. Their first kiss wasn't meant to occur for a while yet and it was going to be in entirely different circumstances. Well, it will still probably be like that but I just kind of thought that this seemed like a good thing to add and it really made the next few chapters easier to write.

Silent-Serpent: She didn't quite come out with it instantly, Jane kept asking her and would have got it out of her anyway.

Darkwing731: Wow, that's so cool! Thanks for that! I think it was quite necessary as well for them to have this interaction, refer to the response two above this one.

Ezmerelda: I know, it must be so confusing for him. I only hope that I have written their "getting over it" (for want of a better word, I can't think of the proper term at the moment) reasonably.

Crazy4Cocopuffs: I think Hermione would listen to a lot of random things as well, well obviously since I wrote it into the storyline (silly me) but for reasons that she doesn't seem to abide by anyone's opinions so would like random things. She's no Lavender or Parvati anyway. Truthfully, changing POV's is easier to write the story! I believe, even though without failures you will never learn, you cannot try things that are too far out of your league. I have started writing a one person perspective story but I think it will end up being a multi-perspective story later on. But I haven't updated that one in a long time. But thank you for your last comment, that really makes writing worthwhile. I've always enjoyed writing but haven't been able to do a lot of it.

Angela: Hmm, that's interesting as well. I think you will see Ron's opinion of it soon. Although he won't realise that they've already kissed, that would kill him.

The Lord Of pencil: Hmm, I got the point that you don't like Rammstein, but wasn't quite sure on what you meant, about not being heavy, was that it? That's actually why I like them, cos the keyboards and synthesisers cancel out the really heaviness of the music. Anyway, each one to his own, but at least you still liked the chapter... ;-)

naty: I kind of hope that Narcissa is capable of acting like this. I think that Lucius has a great influence over her and that it was expected that she marry a pureblood.

sugar n spice 522: Yep, that was the angle I was going for... ;-)

BlackRose111: Now...

blondiluvbanana: Refer to first paragraph, that is the reason:-)

JayJay216: Nah, Dracula is only about 300-400 pages long, not sure exactly. You might be getting confused about something else. As for the storyline, they will get out of the house very soon, and from then on, a bit more often. Re: your suggestion, I have a clear cut view of what is going to happen with the storyline and whilst that could happen, I don't know if it will. I tend to use people's suggestions if it doesn't have a great significance on the storyline, simply cos I know what I want for them to happen so I usually always keep that in mind and see if suggestions can work around it. I dunno, I could fit it in but it wouldn't be a huge part of the storyline if it is. Thanks anyway for the suggestion and comments, and hope that I have responded to it fittingly.

To everyone else who reviewed, thank you so much for your comments and wellwishes for my exam, I only put that in cos I had to leave at that time and not a minute later for fear of missing the damn thing! It means so much to receive so many responses. I hope those who I haven't responded to don't get too pissed off, the thing is, the responses have already taken up so much space and I'm sure people don't really care to read everyone else's response but only theirs. But I try to respond to most cos it gives you all a better feel for what is to come and why some things haven't been said or done or whatever. Anyway, on to chapter 20...

* * *

**Chapter 20: Male Bonding**

The next day, Draco tried desperately hard to avoid Hermione the entire day. If he knew she was in the bathroom, he stayed in his room until it was clear that she was no longer there. He stayed in the study the entire time, even going as far as waiting until after 2 o'clock before having lunch, just to ensure that he would not run into her. After a while, he got sick of being in the study so instead, spent the rest of the afternoon outside on the garden seat overlooking the fishpond.

Upon hearing the car pull up in the drive, he got up from the seat and went back inside, only to go back into the study until dinner was served.

However, his peace was soon disrupted by Robert, who had entered the study unbeknownst to Draco.

"Draco," he said. "Dinner's nearly ready but I just thought I would come in here beforehand."

Inwardly groaning and being quite sure that what Robert was going to say was about Hermione, Draco put down his book and looked at the older man.

"Yes?"

"Remember how I said that you should watch some football, just to see if you like it or not?"

Draco blinked in surprise. This was not the statement he had prepared for and so he racked his brain in confusion. Yes, he did remember that conversation. Still, Draco answered, "Vaguely."

"Well, the game is on at 7:30, if you were still interested."

"Maybe." Considering it a bit more, he thought that it might do him some good to stop moping about and actually do something else rather than sitting in the study reading all day. "Okay, I will."

Robert smiled. "Good, you might enjoy it; we'll see. Anyway, Jane has finished cooking, if you want to come to the dinner table."

"Okay then."

Robert left the room, leaving Draco alone again. He knew that sooner or later, he was going to have to speak to Hermione again but since their last exchange had ended so poorly and humiliatingly, it was going to require a great deal of courage to do so.

Resignedly, he got up out of the chair and headed out into the kitchen. He saw Hermione look at him out of the corner of his eye but refused to acknowledge her. Instead, he continued to eat silently and quickly, waiting for Robert to finish his meal so that they could both go out into the lounge to watch the football game.

At last, Robert finished and they both left the table. Draco saw him go to the fridge and pull out a couple of bottles of something that he didn't know what of and walked out of the room, signalling for Draco to follow. Again, Draco noticed that when he got up out of his chair, Hermione was looking at him in perhaps sadness but once again, he continued to stare straight ahead.

They wandered out into the lounge-room and sat down on the couch. Robert turned the television on with the remote control and handed Draco one of the bottles he had been holding.

"What's this?" Draco asked.

"It's Boddington's traditional English draught."

"Is it beer?"

"Robert Granger!" Jane's irate voice could be heard from the kitchen and very soon, the doorway into the lounge-room. "You do not mean to tell me that you are letting Draco drink beer, do you?"

"Why not?" Robert argued. "What use is watching a football match when you can't enjoy a drink to go with it?"

"You know as much as I do that he is not old enough to drink beer!"

"Jane, it's only one. Besides, I'm sure in his own world he has experienced alcohol before. Who knows? The stuff there might even be as strong as a Guinness. Probably as foul, too. Bloody Irish and their God-forsaken shite."

"If you serve that boy beer, you may as well sleep on the couch tonight!"

Draco couldn't help but smile at the threat. He didn't dare laugh because he knew how scary a female Granger could be. Robert looked a bit worried but continued to argue.

"Now dear, don't be like that. It's only one beer so I can't see what the big deal is. What else is Draco going to drink while we watch the game? Surely not milk. He may not even like it, anyway."

"Robert, you just don't get it, do you?" Jane sighed. "Fine, but I'm not joking when I say that you are sleeping on the couch tonight."

Jane left the room, leaving a slightly embarrassed Draco and a subdued Robert.

"Don't worry about her, Draco. She'll be okay in a couple of hours. She usually gets like this when I have a beer because she's never had the urge for it yet I've always been partial to a drop every now and then; usually when the football's on."

"So you won't be sleeping on the couch then?"

Robert laughed. "No, because she knows that if there happens to be something going on downstairs, she'll be the one who has to check it out."

"But if you are already downstairs, won't she expect you to see what it is?"

Robert suddenly realised the situation and quickly looked back to the television.

"Er, I didn't think of that one. However, she is yet to last the entire night without me beside her so no, I think she'll be okay before the night's out."

However, Draco could tell that Robert was not 100 per cent about this but resolved to watch the game and try the beer.

"Anyway," Robert said matter-of-factly, "I've already explained the game to you but now you can watch it for yourself. If you have any questions about it, I won't hesitate to answer them but after a few minutes, you should get the hang of it."

"Er, okay then."

"Tonight's game is between Arsenal and Liverpool. Liverpool is the one of the best sides in London, along with Man U."

"Man U?"

"Manchester United. Sorry Draco, I forget you haven't heard of the abbreviations for the teams. Now, I don't think I explained it fully before. There are two halves of forty-five minutes and if it is nil-all, the game goes into two fifteen minute halves, although this doesn't usually happen during the season; only for finals."

"Oh right. So, in total, games can last perhaps 2 hours?"

"In some cases, yes."

"The longest I've played a game of Quidditch is three and a bit hours, so I guess this should be okay to watch. However, that was only once; usually games only last a bit over an hour at most. Although, the longest game in history went for over three months. The captains had to keep subbing players to save them from exhaustion. In the end, both teams gave up in frustration at the lack of their seekers' skills at catching the Snitch."

"Really? Well, the footballers should be thankful that that won't ever happen."

It was at that moment that the game started. Draco was still getting used to how the television worked when Robert startled him with a profanity aimed squarely at the telly.

"Er, what just happened?"

"You see that number 15 there? The one in the red and white jumper? He just had a go at one of our players."

"By 'our', you mean who?"

"Liverpool."

Robert went back to the game, leaving Draco wondering what just happened. In truth, he couldn't quite see the big deal over the whole game but from what he had seen in the first ten minutes, Robert was not wrong when he said that the skills were second to none. Draco knew he had seen something like that before but was not exactly sure from where. Then he realised that the dark-skinned Gryffindor sixth year had often been seen doing similar things with a ball just like the one that the game was being played with.

_Who was it? Sean Thomas? No, not Sean, Dean? That sounds right. Hmm, I wonder how hard it is to do?_

Finally, he looked down at the bottle of beer in his hands and decided to give it a try. Twisting off the top, Draco took a small swig of it. The flavour was dry but not overly bitter. After rolling it around his mouth for a couple of seconds, he swallowed, realising that there was a disgusting aftertaste left in his mouth.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed, screwing up his face in revult.

Robert turned to him in alarm. "You decided to try the beer?" he asked, after a momentary pause.

"How can you drink this stuff?" was all Draco could muster.

Robert smiled. "Give it time; it's okay once you get used to it. Perhaps you might like something a little sweeter. I'll tell you what; next time I get some, I'll try for something sweeter, like a Strongbow, which is a cider anyway. How's that?"

"Er, alright then."

"You don't have to finish it if you don't want to. Just leave it on the coffee table if you can't drink it."

"It might grow on me but it's pretty strong."

"I know. Oh well, it's not everybody's cup of tea, so don't feel bad about not liking it."

"Thanks. As I said, it might grow on me later."

"Fair enough."

They both went back to the game, which was now in the twentieth minute. It was still nil-all but Draco was starting to see what Muggles saw in the game. It was not as exciting as Quidditch; not by a long shot yet it was still easy to become interested in. He even gave the beer another chance, although that was not as easy to become interested in.

"Goal to Arsenal!" the telly announced, causing Robert to yell more profanities at the screen. Draco simply sat there, stunned before Robert turned to him and said, "Er, sorry about that, Draco. I tend to get a bit carried away with it sometimes."

Still stunned, Draco was unable to think of a response but instead looked back at the screen. It was not like he could really talk since he was known to let off the occasional swearword, but it was still a shock to hear someone else swear so openly. Especially saying THAT word.

They continued watching the game in silence, watching as the Liverpool players came near the goals time and time again but not scoring.

"If they don't get one soon, I'm going to be really annoyed," Robert said to himself.

Draco was about to respond when suddenly a massive roar happened on-screen.

"_And Liverpool have made it an even contest!_" the commentator yelled.

"Yes!" Robert yelled, causing the couch to shake as he jumped up from it. "About time, boys!"

_My God! I've _never_ seen Father get so worked up over a Quidditch game like this!_

Robert sat back down on the couch, quite forgetting that Draco was there. Not that Draco was too bothered by it; in fact, he found it kind of reassuring to know that this Muggle was relaxed enough around him to act normally. Draco had spent so much time around Hermione the last two weeks that he had not really spent much time around Jane or Robert, except for at meal times when Robert asked him how his study-up of Muggle history was going. It was good to see another side to him, in particular it was quite good to see Robert taking an interest in showing Draco something that was not familiar with, be it history or sport. He didn't really want to admit it, but he had never had as much fun with his father watching Quidditch games or with anything, really. Robert went about things much less formally than Lucius did and for that reason, it made things much more comfortable.

"I'm sorry, Draco, I keep forgetting that you're here. I must stop getting so carried away." Robert said apologetically.

"Really, it's alright. It doesn't bother me," Draco assured him.

"I was going to tell you more about the players and the team but I sort of got distracted."

"Perhaps I can find that out later, otherwise I won't get to see how the game is played."

"Good idea. The game has another half to go so you have plenty of time to familiarise yourself with it."

"It's proven to be rather chaotic, hasn't it?"

"The game?"

"Yes."

"That's true. So what do you think of it so far?"

Draco pondered this for a moment before deciding how to answer. "Well, it does seem exciting at times and I can definitely see why a lot of Muggles like it. I won't lie though; I find Quidditch more exciting but I do find that the skills in football are rather good."

"I appreciate your honestly, Draco. There is no point in lying just to please someone. It's like the beer though; it might grow on you with time."

"Although I might become accustomed to football quicker than the beer."

Robert laughed. "One thing at a time then. Anyway, the second half is about to start."

The rest of the game passed quickly as Draco and Robert remained relatively quiet, except for the odd gasp as the ball neared the Liverpool goals or cursing as Arsenal scored two more goals for the game. The game ended with Arsenal winning 3-2 but Liverpool almost drew them.

"So, did it grow on you a little more?" Robert asked him.

Draco gave a small grin. "The beer or the game?"

Robert smiled. "Well, both I guess."

"The beer was okay after a few mouthfuls but still not great. The game on the other hand was pretty good most of the time. Although when there was that long period of nothing, it did get frustrating."

"Admittedly, I find those times quite trying as well. All you want to do is get out onto the field yourself and play for them."

Draco laughed, surprising both himself and Robert. "Do you play?"

"I used to, although I wasn't ever good enough to play in the Premier League."

"Why did you stop?"

Robert looked at Draco in wonder, yet answered him all the same. "I twisted my knee quite badly and it needed surgery. I was never as good from then on. I can still play for fun, but I could never play competitively again." He looked regretful at the last statement but only for a moment.

Draco saw Robert's look nonetheless and remarked. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't play Quidditch."

"Be thankful that you still can. From what I hear, you are quite skilled."

_Excuse me? Don't tell me Hermione thinks that. What about Potty?_

"Hermione said that?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes she did. However, that was before you came here; she mentioned a game in a letter she sent home." Robert gave a snort of laughter. "If I remember correctly, her words went along the lines of, 'Bloody Malfoy caught the Snitch against Harry in the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor match. Needless to say, Harry was quite livid as we all watched Malfoy lead the Slytherin Quidditch team in celebrations for the remainder of the afternoon. Admittedly, the git played the best out of anyone and unfortunately deserved the accolades he received.'"

Draco laughed. It was pretty typical of Hermione to say something like that, considering their past animosity towards each other. It once again reminded Draco of what happened a couple of days ago, causing him to go bright red in embarrassment. He tried to hide it, not so successfully but Robert had the grace to not make a remark about it. Draco regained his composure and spoke.

"I didn't think she would say _that_ though. Hey," he said by way of changing the topic, "can you still do all that stuff with your feet?"

Robert looked at him in mild curiosity and responded with a somewhat proud, "Yes, why is that?"

"There is a student at Hogwarts who knows how to do a lot of the things that the players were doing. I was wondering if you could teach me how to do it. You know, the more basic things. I don't think I would be able to do anything else just yet."

Robert smiled. "It took me years to learn some of the more complex foot skills, however if you really want to learn that, I'll teach you. How about tomorrow? Do you have anything planned to do?"

"I could always read up on Muggle history but I've learned a lot so far and it's okay to give it a rest for a day or more. I'd really appreciate it."

"Okay, that's settled. Tomorrow, I'll teach you some of the more basic manoeuvres in football. At least you will be able to challenge those who already know the sport in your World."

Draco didn't really want to say that he would rather he didn't play against the Muggles at Hogwarts, given that he didn't really think it would do his reputation too good to suddenly go play a Muggle sport with them, however he didn't tell Robert that. Instead, he just smiled and said, "It would be good to be able to do that."

"And if you want to watch another football game," Robert continued, "It will be on same time, next week."

"Okay, I think I will."

"Then maybe we might be able to go to a game as well, providing work is being kind to me. How about that?"

Draco beamed. "That would be brilliant! Thanks, Robert."

"No problem, Draco. Now," Robert looked at his watch. "It's nearly 10:30, perhaps you better go to bed if you want to be able to play some football in the morning; it can be quite tiring."

"I probably should. Alright, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Draco."

Draco left Robert sitting on the couch and went upstairs to get ready for bed. He really couldn't get over what had just happened; he had just bonded with a Muggle. Aside from Hermione of course, but a male Muggle. Actually, a male in general. He had never shared such a close experience with his father yet he had just done so with someone who prior to two weeks ago, he did not even know. Surprisingly, he was thrilled about the last three hours. He had learnt about another sport, admittedly a Muggle one but one that seemed quite enjoyable to watch and not only that, he had gotten to know Robert on another level. All of a sudden, the next day was looking like it was going to be fun, instead of being another day of avoiding Hermione. He already had an excuse to not see her.

He climbed into bed with a grin on his face, and drifted easily off to sleep.

* * *

**Comments:**

Re: Robert's comment 'bout Guinness... This is nothing against the Irish; my ancestry is pretty much all Irish! But I cannot stand Guinness!

I wondered whether I had kept Robert in character or not. Reading it again, I dunno. I hope so.

Will have to leave this for a bit of a while until I move back down to Melbourne for uni. Hope everyone can be patient until that time; I know what it's like when people don't update, you sit there going, COME ON! Update God fuckit! Anyway, best be off... ;-)


	21. Nightmare

Hey everyone! Have we all read HBP yet? Unfortunately for this story, it was started obviously way before HBP came out, and while I have read it, most things to do with HBP won't be appearing in this story. There might be some very small details coming about but aside from those, nothing. NOTHING I tell you! Nah, I would have liked to be finished this before it, but since I have a shiteload still to write, that was never going to happen. Anyway, hope this wasn't too late.

**Comments: **

**lilithofunderworld:** Is it obvious I hate beer as well? ;-) The thing about being a uni student is meant to be all about drinking beer - not me. Cannot stand it. Never acquired the taste for it, ugh! Give me a Bundy rum and coke, and even that I don't really drink all that much. As for Draco, I could see it being quite awkward for him, which is kind of why I thought that Robert wouldn't say anything about it, despite the fact that Draco had a go at his daughter.

**Steelo:** Hmm, considering Hermione's POV that Quidditch is only a game and given that there are no references to her flying at all, I'm guessing that she doesn't play any sports, nor did she ever. She doesn't seem like it ever came into the equation.

**harryluvzginny:** That's good to know about Robert! I was kind of hoping that he would be the father figure that Draco was missing in his life - someone to just be there if he needed it. This is pretty corny, but oh well. Despite Robert being a Muggle, I thought Draco would develop a respect for him, which I think he has.

**xoKaSsIeox :** Hey! I like that you made the extra effort of checking out my bio! It's nice to know. I've got a looooooot of stuff there, hope none of it was too boring. Anyway, I dunno if there are many more awkwardnesses (don't worry, I have no idea on the correct terminology anyway) between the two of them. That is to say, of what I've written, there isn't. However, given that there are a few decent plotlines still to come, there might be. This chapter is a fair change in the storyline as well. Oh yeah, I tend to do the same (that is, read up to the part where the writer has updated then review a chapter).

**KellyRiddle88:** haha! C'est pas grave. Moi, je suis sans ordinateur egalement pendant quatre semaines, donc il n'y avait une fois que j'ai pu mettre plus de mon histoire sur l'Internet. Alors, mon cours qui a eu l'examen, j'ai recu 73. C'est pas mal, je pense. Et mercredi, j'ai achete Harry Potter et l'Ecole de Sorciers (PS/SS en francais!). Je trouve que je peux comprendre presque tous les mots, woohoo:-) Je suis contente...

**KeiZka:** Don't worry, I respond to all reviews and don't really care whether they are anonymous or not. So long as no one flames me, I'm content with either... And yeah, someone did point that out for me. I think that was just a typo on my part. I didn't realise that it was in there, truthfully. Will have to go over it later on.

**preciousonee:** Hmm, hadn't actually considered it, will have to fix that little piece of continuity into the storyline! Thanks for the pointer!

**Silent-Serpent:** Did I say something about it improving his skills? If so, I didn't mean to. Well, I guess it could improve his hand/eye co-ordination and his overall fitness. I have honestly forgotten what I wrote.

**Caitlin:** I can see what you mean. I tend to think like that of other stories but the thing is, it was always going to happen. I'd have a lot more trouble writing the story without it, trust me. BTW, I hope you really didn't check everyday, that was about three weeks' worth! ;-)

**Ellie:** I thought I hit a brick wall at one part but at least I got a bit of story done today, hence the reason why chapter 21 is finally up! Thanks for the kind words.

**homestar-fan:** I tend to agree, it really is just a game. I come from a small town where the town football/netball teams are THE SHIT in the town. (The 'shit' meaning the 'thing' to follow, the best, whatever) and small country towns idolise their football team. It drives everyone who doesn't follow footy mental.

**Ezmerelda:** haha! It's funny cos it's my mum that watches the football and not dad. And while she doesn't get completely worked up watching it, she is always in the footy tipping and having a go at those who go for other teams when their teams lose. But you're right, men are a sight to see when watching sport.

**Darkwing731 :** I loved writing the bit about beer cos obviously, it reflects my thoughts on the stuff, I hate it to the n'th degree. As for the profanity, let's just say that it's not the F word... ;-)

**LadySnake:** haha! I tend to save those sorts of things for when I'm actually at games. Given that I haven't been to a footy game in a long time, when the time comes, I get a bit carried away, despite everything I've previously said about thinking that it is only a game. My thoughts though are that it's better to save it for during the game as to afterwards and during the week when it's not being played.

**Lady-Crymsyn:** Yep can do. It would have been the chapter up instead of this one but I thought that I really ought to have written some more on the story before I had complete writer's block. I did start writing a summary and will now keep going with it. I'll summarise all chapters up to this point.

**SushiFelton:** I did do okay on my exam in fact, luckily. I ended up with a 73 for the subject, thank God. That's a Distinction at least. For Statistics as well! So glad. Anyway, it's funny that I wrote what it's like with sports because no matter what sport it is (American Football, soccer/football, rugby), people have been telling me all about their characteristics (or someone they know) when it comes to sport. It's a worldwide phenomena. So where was I going with this? I'm liking that Draco is understanding towards the whole sports thing, albeit a Muggle one cos he knows that that is what he's like with Quidditch. And thanks for the kind words at the end!

**lostindreams1001:** I remember answering a couple of your posts. It's good that you have an account, cos now you can test the waters with your own fiction. That's what was so cool when I joined up. But yeah. I finally did update and I hope that I can update a bit more often now that I've only got a couple of subjects this semester. As for them avoiding each other, it's only shortlived... ;-)

**Bewittching:** That's what got me writing my own, I loved reading them!

**Lovely:** I kind of thought that perhaps Robert would sympathise with Draco because he has probably been in the same position himself at around the same age. I know it was his own daughter that Draco had a go at, but I think Robert could be a little forgiving, since Draco has proven that he is trying to make things easy for them. And I think Hermione would keep making football/soccer comments much like she does with Quidditch the whole way through it, so probably not the best way to rekindle their friendship. Oh yeah, I'm Australian.

**JayJay216:** Brilliant! I'm glad someone caught on to what I was doing with Robert's character before I said what I was doing. Well, at least anyway. But yeah, it's funny how men can keep it together but in heated moments such as these, that's it. A faithful fan, haha, loving it!

**sugar n spice 522: **I only hope that this wasn't too long. I hate not being able to upload chapters!

**walk.in.the.rain:** Well, this will certainly up the storyline as well as give more interaction, albeit briefly but sweetly (ooh! Too much info!). And we all agree, why didn't she let him kiss her!

As for everyone else who reviewed, thank you for your kind words and wellwishes. I hope you all enjoy the following chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 21: Nightmare**

_AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!_

Draco woke up, soaking with sweat and completely twisted amongst his doona and sheets. For a moment, he had no idea where he was until a couple of moments later when he realised that he was in the Grangers' guest room, where he had been for the last two weeks. Despite falling asleep easily after the bonding session with Robert, he had woken up at 4:35am after experiencing a horrible dream.

_He was standing inside what seemed to be a lounge-room, however where, Draco was not sure. It looked vaguely familiar but before he could remember why, his thoughts were interrupted by voices from perhaps beneath him, indistinguishable. There were also screams from another source; high pitched and obviously howls of pain, perhaps in torture? He didn't want to think about that… he had to stop it somehow but considering this place looked so unrecognisable, how on earth was he going to do that?_

"_Please!" one of the voices said._

"_What did you do with it?" said a high pitched voice that sounded not so much as a voice, but a short series of hisses. _Oh my God, Voldemort!

"_I don't know what you're talking about!" the voice was nothing more than a whimper._

"_You know exactly what I'm referring to, Peasegood." _Peasegood? Who is Peasegood?

"_Please! I beg you!" Peasegood pleaded._

"_You are an obliviator, Peasegood, are you not?" the hissing voice continued. _Obliviator… they're only present in the Ministry… he must be the officer that the Deatheaters were planning to raid!

"_Yes, but – "_

"_And did you or did you not obliviate one Neville Longbottom after he witnessed his parents' torture?"_

"_But what has that got to do with anything?"_

"_I believe that a certain wizard was notified and the boy Longbottom was taken away from his parents, am I correct?"_

"_Yes and –"_

"_So did you, or did you not, notify this particular wizard of your obliviation of Mr Longbottom?"_

_Silence._

"_Crucio!"_

_More screams, perhaps only lasting for a couple of seconds but to Draco, it lasted a lifetime._

"_I will repeat myself, something I do not like doing, Peasegood. Did you, or did you not notify Dumbledore of your obliviation of one Neville Longbottom?"_

"_I did," the voice gasped, causing Draco to have to get down onto the floor to hear._

"_And why did you do that?"_

"_Because he asked me what happened to Neville, so I told him that he had just witnessed his parents' torture. I felt bad for the boy and thought that it would be better to obliviate him and leave him in Dumbledore's hands, rather than to let him go."_

"_So, Peasegood has a heart. Do you, Peasegood?"_

"_Everyone does."_

"_Hmm, we shall see about that, shall we?" There was more silence for a moment then the hissing started up again. "Do you realise why you are here?"_

"_No, I don't."_

"_I always knew that you were one of the weaker Ministry officials to grace the office and for that reason, you would prove to give me the information I so desired quite easily. Trust me, Peasegood, others have tolerated far worse than what I have served you. But enough about my history; the reason for my request to see you is because I wish for your wand; the one that obliviated Mr. Longbottom."_

"_Why do you want that?"_

"_You are an obliviator Peasegood, although it seems that you are not a very bright one. You are aware of the fact that for such a complex and strong memory charm like the one you performed on Mr Longbottom, it requires the same wand to perform it, true?"_

"_Yes."_

"_And because you are not in any position to cast it yourself, I am going to do it for you."_

"_You are going to seek out Neville Longbottom? For what reason?"_

"_Your naivety tonight is mystifying, Peasegood. So that Mr Longbottom remembers exactly what happened that night."_

"_Why is that of any importance?"_

"_Remembering something like that would drive anyone insane and I wouldn't doubt that Mr Longbottom is no exception. He proved to be quite a capable wizard in the battle in the Ministry office a year ago. (_What? Since when has Longbottom been any good at anything? Okay, he did seem to improve in DADA last year._) Therefore, I wish to make him remember his parents' torture, rendering him only fit enough to eat his meals from the maximum security wing in St Mungo's Psychological Ward._

"_You see, it is far too difficult even for me to take on an entire army of qualified witches and wizards, despite the lack of talent that the Ministry seems to keep in their disposal, judging by yourself. However, by attacking each Order member one by one, it reduces a great deal of risk of losing more followers._

"_So Peasegood, I ask you once more; where is your wand?"_

_There was a small pause where the only noises were whimpers, presumably from Peasegood. Eventually, a small voice could be heard._

"_It's hidden at the back of the bottom drawer on the opposite side of the room to my bed. It's the wand I use everyday, however it is starting to lose its power due to having been used and misused a lot."_

"_Peasegood, I did not ask you for more information than the whereabouts of your wand. Nevertheless, that information might prove to be useful._

"_Right, Peasegood, you will stay here until one of my followers have retrieved the wand and if they cannot find it, you will sorely pay. Understood?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Good."_

It was at that point that Draco had woken. He was still sitting on his bed, petrified and unable to think or move for more than five minutes. Eventually, he was able to put his hands over his face, in wonder of what he was going to do. He knew something had to be done; it was only a matter of what. He didn't even know what _could_ be done. It seemed like it had already happened but he was not sure if it had or not. Either way, he had to tell someone and he knew just who that person had to be.

_Dumbledore!_

But how was he going to tell him what happened? Castor was not in his cage, nor could he be heard outside. It left Draco with no choice but to grab his broom, head down the stairs and go outside to find Castor. Unfortunately, he only got as far as the back door before he heard a loud hissing.

_Damn cat! Don't you dare do anything!_

However, the round ball of orange fur paid no heed to Draco and instead, bounded up the stairs in a flurry and scratched and meowed at Hermione's door loud enough to wake the whole house. Furious, Draco ran outside, mounted his broom and went in search of Castor.

As he flew around trying desperately hard to forget the last time he was up in the air, Draco called out softly but loud enough so Castor would hear him if he was close range. After about ten minutes, Draco could hear the fluttering of wings as Castor landed on the end of his broom.

"Castor!" Draco exclaimed. "Thank God I found you. I need you to get a message to Dumbledore quickly because something's happened!"

Castor stuck one leg out from the broom, almost losing his balance in the process, for Draco to tie the note onto. However, writing the note was not something Draco had actually done in his haste to find his owl. Groaning, he motioned to Castor to follow him down to the house so he could write the note then send it off.

When he got down towards the verandah, he could see a light on in the back room, one that he did not turn on as he left it. It only meant one thing; the damn cat had woken the house.

As he landed, the back door opened and Hermione came out looking sleepy, annoyed and curious all at once. Draco pushed past her to go inside, causing Hermione to curse and follow him inside.

"What IS your problem, Draco Malfoy?" she asked in exasperation.

He heard but did not acknowledge her. Instead, he continued on up the stairs to his room, opened the door and went to shut it, only Hermione stuck her hand in the way and forced it open again.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she cried.

This time, Draco turned to face her, giving her his most sinister glare and getting the result he was after. Hermione shrank back against the doorjamb but said nothing.

Draco found a quill and parchment and started to write a short note to Dumbledore regarding his dream. He hastily tied it to Castor's leg, groaning when the knot came undone, making him have to tie it properly.

"You know where to go, Castor," he told the bird. "Please hurry."

After opening the window, Draco sat on the bed in silence, not looking at Hermione's growing look of worry as Castor flew off into the night sky.

After some minutes of not saying anything, he looked at Hermione. She cautiously approached the bed where he was sitting and sat down next to him.

"Please, Draco!" she pleaded, not knowing that her voice sounded very much like the one from his dream that he was trying so hard to forget. He looked away, which only made her grab his arm in despair.

"Draco, what happened?" she asked frantically.

This time Draco looked at her, seeing the tears well up in her eyes and the look of concern on her face.

"Someone in the Ministry is going to be attacked," he said quietly, "I just don't know when."

"What do you mean? How do you know this?"

"Crabbe and Goyle told me before the last day of Hogwarts."

"What? You have known for two weeks that something was going to happen and you didn't say anything? Why?" Her voice sounded desperate and mad, making Draco churn up inside.

"You really wouldn't understand."

"Please try me."

"I'm serious, Hermione. You have always had people that you can trust. It hasn't been so easy for me; especially this last year."

"That was the reason? But you're telling Dumbledore now! Why didn't you tell him that before?"

"I don't know! Because I was still feeling horrible about having to live with you over summer. Even you weren't happy about me staying, you said so yourself. It's just how it was. Look, I've told him now, haven't I?"

"But it might be too late!" Hermione looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Draco, I know that you didn't want to be here or that you didn't know who to trust but you were at absolutely no risk of either Dumbledore or me telling anyone about this. Why else would you be here? Surely you must realise that you can trust us all! For your own sake, don't ever hide anything like this from me again! No matter what happens from now on, please know that you can trust me!"

He looked back and saw the earnestness written all over her features and sighed. "I was going to tell you and there was one time when I nearly did. I don't know why but I just couldn't do it."

Hermione was silent for a moment, obviously in thought. "When was that?"

"Don't you remember that day when we were both outside in front of the fish pond?"

Her face was one of confusion, concern and sadness for a moment until the confusion was replaced with realisation. "I remember now, I asked you if something was the matter. Was it then?"

"Yes, that was it."

"So can you tell me what prompted you to write to Dumbledore now?"

Draco hesitated. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to relive his dream but he knew that he would probably have to with Dumbledore later on. Eventually, he knew that Hermione would find out sooner or later.

Finally, he muttered, "Alright."

He told her about the dream, starting from the start when he first realised that he was in a strange yet somewhat familiar house and of the voices that he had heard. Throughout this, he continued to look at his feet that were dangling over the side of his bed, refusing to look in Hermione's direction for fear of revealing his true feelings of the dream. Finally, he finished at the point where he had heard that Neville Longbottom was going to be sought out as well.

"Oh Draco, that's awful!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck before he could stop her. However, once she had done it, he could not remove her arms from around him. In fact, he found it extremely comforting to know that she was with him in this. Not directly of course but morally, she was supporting him. It also seemed that she had forgotten all about his ignoring her over the last couple of days as much as he had; something that he was very grateful for.

He slowly brought his own arms around her and they sat there on the edge of his bed in silence for what seemed to be a long time, when Draco was overcome with exhaustion.

"Hermione," he whispered, "I think we had probably better get to sleep."

When he didn't hear a response, he removed her arms from around his neck to see that she had fallen asleep. Temporarily forgetting the cause of his awareness at such a late time, he smiled to himself and gently laid Hermione down on his bed, shifting the covers back to guide her into position before pulling them back up over her. He settled down on the beanbag, too exhausted himself to realise that it was not the most comfortable thing to sleep on, and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

**Comments:**

Well, none for this chapter really. Any questions, just let me know and I'll try to be concise when answering. Oh yeah, and just keep in mind that even though I've read HBP, I'm keeping to how I originally started writing this story. Thanks and see y'all!


	22. Dumbledore's Visit

** Hey everyone! Hope this wasn't too long between visits in Draco and Hermione's world. Have been writing a great deal lately, so let's see if I can get it posted soon.**

**Keep reviews coming, am loving reading them. Thank you to everyone who commented, will try to answer a lot of questions/comments now.**

**leafsgurl999:** Hey, thanks! I like hearing that.

**preciousonee:** Yeah I thought that that might happen and there's some tiny little things that I keep putting in here that have happened in HBP simply because they don't really reveal anything about the storyline, in case others haven't read it. But since my story is well-formed in my head, it doesn't bother me as much as it could.

**KellyRiddle88** haha! Merci, et c'est bien que vous avez obtenu 73 pour la science, oui? Mais peut-etre mieux que j'ai ecrit plus de mon histoire... :-) C'est comme ca pour moi quelque fois. Je pense, ooh, est-ce qu'il y a plus de cette histoire? Si non, c'est comme "Shit! Je dois le lire!". Alors, merci pour vos mots de confiance!

**yoshimay:** It meant that I've read HBP but I will try to keep from adding things that have happened in it into this story because it was written pre-HBP anyway. I hope that clarifies things...

**Darkwing731:** Nope, not the big F... hahaha! There is only one other word that's worse than that in my opinion and I hear it a little unnecessarily at uni sometimes. The dream was something that just kind of filled int eh spot that needed filling. I needed some way of Draco to suddenly remember about the Ministry official, and there had to be a reason for him to not want to forget it again. It was perhaps a bit lame but I really didn't want to add more to the storyline than what will already be there anyway. So I hope that it was okay anyway. It's kind of explained in this next chapter anyway.

**Angela:** Oh yeah, I have a bean bag and as much as I love watching telly in it, I hate going to sleep in it cos I can't get to sleep. Although mine isn't one of the massive ones but still, I know from sleeping out in my hammock (another comfy chair) that if you tried to sleep in it all the time, your back would kill to no end. Woops, I just re-read your review. I know what you mean about not being able to get out of them too easy. But they are cool still! ;-)

**Steelo:** That is something that I can't quite reveal at this moment. I kind of thought that I had hinted at what was to happen, and I know that things have moved incredibly slowly but I feel that things will happen in good time. Providing of course that the opportunity presents itself. And thanks for words at the start, really, they mean a lot.

**Belle:** Damn, couldn't really add that part into the equation, at least we see Hermione's reaction to that anyway. Peasegood was captured by Voldemort presumably because he is, according to Draco's dream, the Ministry official that was to be attacked (for Voldemort's gain). Yes, we will definitely be hearing from Narcissa later on in the fic as well. PS. Awesome to see another The Office fan, that is a firm favourite part of the series, along with the time when Tim stacked his desk up with books and made Gareth ring him to talk to him. I'm laughing at it now... :-D

**Caitlin:** Geez, I can't believe that. Oh well, I hope once again that this was delivered in good time. I needed to get a bit ahead with the rest of it to be able to upload this bit. I hope there isn't too much emotional speech in terms of how they feel because I think it's needed to get a proper feel for everything that's been happening.

**SushiFelton:** I tend to agree with you. Whilst I really liked HBP, there were times when I thought that it seemed very fanfictionish as well, with the whole relationships thing and I'm not just talking about the characters at school either. The death was not as unexpected as I thought in terms of it was hinted at a lot earlier and a lot less subtly than in OOTP I thought. And yep, Draco talks to his owl! I don't think he would outright hurt it in any way because it is a direct link to his mother (refer to Chapter 8 again for details) and falling asleep in teh bean bag wouldn't be too good after a good few hours. I like them for reading but not sleeping, but that's just me:-)

**Ellie:** Hmm, hadn't really considered them to feature much more int he story but considering it now...

**Divya:** I'm hoping that it's just because of what's been happening that Draco has gone a bit soft. There are times later on, and especially in the 23rd Chapter (23rd? maybe it's the 24th) that he shows that he still is a Slytherin.

**Brandy:** As I say, I think he should be a little more smirking, Draco type later on, as we will see when he sees Harry and Ron (ooh given a lot away there!). But I can see your point. There are times later on, perhaps not so much where you are up to, but further along in chapters there is more dialogue between the two of them, especially up around chapter 20 onwards. As for Hermione's reactions, hmm, I'm just going by how she reacts when Ron and her have an argument. I kind of got the picture that she really fires up at him (due to the fact that she really likes him). And I'll have a look up for that story when I get the chance... sounds cool tho...

**walk.in.the.rain :** Yeah I know, but he was always never going to turn out like Lucius, was he? He is just too damn cute!

**lostindreams1001:** I was quite shocked during the Moaning Myrtle bathroom scene, it was like NO! That can't happen! But at least it just proves that he's human. I read it in a couple of days but had to put up with the fact that my housemate read it before I even had a chance to open it so she was bursting to tell me stuff and I was dying to find out but we both didn't want to talk about it until I read it which mades things even more frustrating. I liked the end of the last chapter (of my story) too. I had to put it in there... ;-)

**Yoli128:** Well, to be truthful, I still don't actually know for sure. It's something that I'm still to work out but for the meantime, you'll have to settle for the explanation in this chapter... sorry! I have to be cruel to be kind cos I don't want to tell you one thing and then decide on something else. I'll end up with a dozen reviews saying, you said that wasn't going to happen! I was interested myself in knowing how that was to be explained and furthermore working out how it was gonna be believable.

**harryluvzginny:** I thought that the Ginny/Harry thing was inevitable actually. Although I kind of thought that he got over Cho pretty quickly. I know she was pre-Sirius' death but I found that he also seemed to get over Sirius' death pretty quickly. I know it pained him to talk about it, but he didn't really seem affected by it much. Does this make sense? I hope it does. And yep, no kissing at the end of the chapter! Once again, it didn't happen.

**sam:** Hey thanks for that. I hope that this chapter was okay because I realise that there wasn't really much content in it. There are a couple of post OOTP things in it but nothing really that involves storyline or anything. It was only really as a bit of an update because I forgot that they were of age. Which doesn't explain Draco's previous statement about not being able to do magic over summer (I'm just assuming that they can Apparate but can't do magic. Why? Because I didn't realise that they could).

**Alenor:** I thought it was sad but it looked like it was going to happen from a couple of chapters beforehand. But I had wondered whether it was Draco actually, during that one particular scene. I was like NO! as I said to **lostindreams1001** above.

**jdkadjs;f:** I needed something that would be easy to write, explain a few things and fill the gap that I needed for Draco to remember the Ministry attack. However, I kind of thought that watching someone you loved get tortured into insanity would be quite horrendous that you yourself would not want to talk for yonks. Hope that explains my reasoning reasonably... ;-)

**The Lord Of pencil:** Not everyone likes them, I'm not fussed. In fact, the last time I listened to them was a bit of a while ago.

**Amber Hermione:** Now I come to think of it, I kind of feel the same about it as I did about the movie POA. At the start I thought it was brilliant but later on, the more I think about it, I can think of aspects that I didn't like about it. Although overall, I did like it but there were a couple of things in it that seemed not quite right or whatever. The person who died, I think was kind of needed now, as she explained in the book, that for Harry to truly mature, he needed to be on his own to do it. Draco, now Draco in the book just enhanced my own thoughts of what kind of person he is and I found that you could almost tie it in with this story thank God. And the Half-Blood Prince? Funnily enough, I picked it as a stab in the dark right from the start. Although going along viewpoint that she reveals the 'baddie' so to speak in chapter 13 of every book, I misread chapter 12 and had wondered whether it was Mundungus Fletcher cos he was randomly put in the book, as are usually the other bad characters in the other book. I was a little unimpressed, tho how she wrapped that up, considering the significance of who he was. It seemed a little, 'Oh yeah, he's the half-blood prince, so what'. Anyway, they are my thoughts on it.

**Firedoll22:** Ha ha! I love hearing that it kept people that enthralled! I think it's awesome that people find it that interesting, thanks!

**Then Kat Said:** I got half way through writing the chapter summary and decided against finishing it. Rather, I couldn't be bothered for a while anyway. I should get around to it but whether it ends up happening, I dunno. It just means that I don't get to write more on the actual story.

**lilithofunderworld:** As much as I love the Hermione/Draco pairing, in the book it kind of had to happen, as much as we didn't want it to! But I still love reading HDr stories cos good ones are so awesome to read!

**yoshimay:** Geez, another who checks everyday! I hope you didn't check everyday for this one cos well, it has been a while since I updated.

To everyone else, I love getting reviews and reading them! Thanks so much for the comments cos it makes writing it that little bit better.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Dumbledore's Visit**

The next day, Hermione woke up and very quickly realised that she was not in her own bed. She sat up abrubtly, still unsure of where she was then saw a sleeping figure sprawled in an awkward position across the beanbag. It was after seeing Draco out of his own bed that she grasped the concept of her whereabouts. She was in Draco's bed and he had done the gentlemanly thing and taken the beanbag. She looked at his form for a moment, thinking that he really did have a heart underneath the cold exterior. Well, she knew he did but it was even more apparent at that moment. Suddenly, everything that had happened during the night hit her in a torrent and she almost panicked, remembering the urgency of the situation.

_Oh my! A Ministry official is going to be attacked!_

She quickly got up out of bed and ran to Draco. Prodding him gently, she bent over him and whispered beside his ear, "Draco, wake up."

He didn't stir for a second so she tried again. This time, he did awaken but as he did so, he flung Hermione into a headlock and started to yell, "What do you think now, you hissing piece of shit!"

Hermione's first reaction was to panic; her next was to start flailing her arms furiously to try to get at Draco. However, she did not have to do so for a long time because soon afterwards, the pressure was dropped from her neck and she was free to step backwards.

"Shit Hermione!" he exclaimed, as he got up to steady her from falling. "I didn't realise it was you!"

She coughed a couple of times and finally regained her composure.

"It's okay. Wow, you mustn't have had a very good sleep."

"No, not particularly, especially lying on a beanbag. Whilst they're comfortable to sit in for a bit, falling asleep in them's another matter." He rubbed his neck, as if to relax the muscles, and shook his head a little.

"Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. Why was I in your bed and you slept on the beanbag?"

Draco paused, looking a little embarrassed but answered quietly, "You fell asleep on my shoulder and it was easier to just leave you there rather than carry you into your own bedroom."

"Oh. Thank you for that. Considering that you were the one with the nightmare, you really didn't need to do that. And judging by your reaction at me waking you, I'm guessing that you didn't have a nice dream just then either."

"You could say that."

"Draco, if it happens again, wake me up and I'll return to my room so that you can get a proper sleep."

"It's okay, I managed to get a few hours' sleep."

"I mean it."

He hesitated for a moment but then said, "Thanks for being there," then walked out of the room.

Hermione sighed. She knew things weren't going to happen if she stayed in Draco's room and so she slowly followed suit and went back to her bedroom, where she gathered some things to get dressed in and headed for the bathroom.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Just after breakfast (a rather quiet one due to what had happened during the night), there was a buzzing coming from the intercom, indicating that there was someone outside the front gate.

"Hmm," Jane pondered aloud. "Who could that be on a Saturday morning? Robert, you weren't expecting anyone, were you?"

"No," Robert replied. "I wasn't going to do anything today except teach Draco some football. Right, Draco?" Robert smiled at him.

"Er, Dad," Hermione spoke, knowing that Draco wouldn't have been in any mood to. "There's something you should know."

She saw his expression change from his usual content self to something more along the lines of worry, as he asked, "What's that?"

"Something happened during the night and it means that you won't be playing football with Draco today."

"Oh God, Draco!" Jane exclaimed anxiously. "What happened?"

"Mum, the person at the gate will be Dumbledore. It's probably best to wait until he comes before you hear. It's not the best piece of news for us."

Throughout this, Draco only sat quietly, eyeing each one of them as they spoke or asked him questions.

The buzz occurred again.

"I better answer it before he goes again," Jane said.

Dumbledore's voice could be heard coming from the intercom and soon enough, at the front door when Jane opened it up for him.

"I'm so sorry to disturb your otherwise peaceful Saturday morning," he announced, "but I believe something happened that has proven to be quite a distressing thing."

"It's alright, Headmaster," Robert assured. "We have just been informed that something occurred but we are yet to find out what it is."

"Well actually, I only know very sketchy details myself. Draco only provided the more important details in the owl he sent me last night. Draco," Dumbledore turned to him. "I must commend you on your owl. When he arrived at Hogwarts, he was completely ruffled and quite out of breath, having almost fainted in Phoenix's water bowl. Mind you, it was still quite dark outside so he must have flown as fast as he could to reach me. As soon as I read your note, I made it here as quickly as I could. I apologise that it wasn't a bit sooner but I had to organise a meeting about this. After you let me know what happened to you and what you know, we are all going to attend the assembly."

Draco got a panicked look in his eyes, causing Hermione to want to go over and hold his hand. She refrained from doing so, only because she knew that he would dismiss her before she could.

"What meeting?" he asked.

"It's okay, Draco," Dumbledore continued. "I think you've proven yourself enough that you are able to attend. It's nothing bad, so you do not need to worry. Hermione will be present as will Professor Snape and others."

"But you haven't told me; what goes on at the meetings?"

"And you have not told me what happened. Why don't we start with you and then I will tell you all about the assembly."

Draco said nothing. Hermione continued to watch his expression change from worry to resignation.

"Alright," he finally responded.

Again, he launched into the story of being told by Crabbe and Goyle about the attack as well as his dream and everything that happened in it. Dumbledore only sat there and listened the entire time, not even looking like he would interrupt. Hermione had heard often enough from Harry that despite his strange sense of humour, he still retained a seriousness about his work that no one was capable of equalling, not even Professor McGonagall.

Finally, Draco finished his story and sighing, he asked Dumbledore, "So, is there anything else that you would like to know?"

"Yes there is," he answered. "Why is it that you didn't tell anyone beforehand?"

Draco scowled. "Sir," he remarked scornfully, "I don't think you realise what I was actually going through at that time. My trust was not exactly at its fullest when Crabbe and Goyle told me their news."

"Forgive me, Draco. I was not trying to accuse you of keeping this to yourself –"

"Yes, but you did."

"I know I did. I'm sorry but I was caught up in the urgency of the moment. You do not know how helpful your news is to the Order. However, we cannot go by it fully because prior to this occasion, you have not shown any other signs of possessing the Sight. Therefore, the information given in your dream is not of much use."

"Then why tell you if it isn't helpful?" Draco was becoming more and more agitated.

"Please let me finish, Draco. The information contained in your dream cannot be treated wholly as the truth but the insight that you gained from Messrs Crabbe and Goyle is invaluable. You see, the reason why your dream must not be depended upon is because I believe that the knowledge of the attack weighed heavily upon your conscience and by not telling the Grangers about it, only made things worse. So much so that your conscience finally caught up with you and created a scenario so violent and disturbing that it was impossible for you to ignore it. Of course, that is only an opinion from a senile old man who should know better than to speculate about such matters. However, given your present situation with not wanting to place trust in those around you for fear of betrayal, I commend you for sending word to me as soon as you could."

Hermione looked at Draco after Dumbledore finished speaking and noticed that he had replaced the scowl on his face by something that could have resembled embarrassment and even a little bit of pride.

_Hmm, I'm guessing he doesn't get a lot of compliments at home, except from maybe his mother, given the way he talks about her._

"Thank you, Sir," Draco mumbled.

"That's perfectly fine, Draco. Now, it is my turn to explain. The meeting is a congregation of all the Order of the Phoenix members - those who are fighting against Voldemort," he added, after seeing the look of Draco's face. "It is a place where we can strategise and plan our next defense mechanisms on him and his band of Death Eaters. Now, if it is alright with Mr and Mrs Granger, I believe we ought to go straight to the meeting. Is it?" he asked her parents.

"Of course, Headmaster," replied her mother, with a firm nod of her head.

"I'm sorry this had to happen, Draco," her father told him. "I sincerely hope that everything goes as well as they can for you. And there is always time to teach you some football skills, no matter what time of day, just remember that," he smiled, winking.

Draco gave a small grin and simply said, "Thanks, Robert. I hope that it will be sooner rather than later."

"Have you two had something to eat?" Dumbledore asked. "We may be gone all day, and even perhaps all weekend if need be."

"Yes," Hermione responded. "We were just finishing up when you came."

"Good. Well, goodbye Mr and Mrs Granger, I must firstly thank you for taking in Draco for the summer, especially under circumstances. His mother is extremely grateful for your help and I'll be sure to tell her that he is being very well looked after."

"It's been our pleasure, Headmaster," Jane said.

"And I'll be sure to look after them both well for you in your absence."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

Hermione waved goodbye to Jane and Robert and followed Dumbledore out of the house. Draco followed a little way behind both of them, obviously dawdling.

They walked a little way up the driveway before Dumbledore stopped abruptly, nearly causing Hermione to walk straight into him.

"Sir, what's wrong?" she asked.

"It just occurred to me that you don't have any anti-Apparition wards on your house. Therefore there is very little reason for us to wander outside the front gate to Apparate to Headquarters."

"So you weren't just being polite when you buzzed at the intercom?"

"No, it wasn't quite like that. I would have buzzed anyway because I never simply Apparate right outside one's front door. I feel that people should be given a little warning before unexpected guests arrive."

"Oh, fair enough then."

"Now, I take it that both of you are able to Apparate, am I correct?"

"I can, Sir, I don't know about Draco."

"We're Apparating? But I don't know where I'm going."

"That's quite alright Draco. I have co-ordinates here – "

"But you need to picture the location as well!"

"Not if you concentrate wholly on the exact details on the parchment. Trust me, Draco, you will land at number 12 Grimmauld Place if you concentrate intensely on the co-ordinates," Dumbledore said, giving the piece of parchment to Draco in the process. "If you do find yourself slightly off, don't panic but instead, concentrate fully on where you are and I will be able to find you."

Draco looked skeptical. "How are you able to do that?"

"You do not know Draco, but I am a capable Legilimens."

"Oh."

"If that is the case, then I shall see you both at Headquarters."

Hermione smiled, looking at Draco's anxious expression. "Okay Sir."

"Dumbledore vanished with a _crack_, leaving the other two standing there for a moment alone.

Hermione put a hand on Draco's arm, not realising the reaction that she had given him. "It'll be right, Draco. I'll see you in a minute."

She Disapparated, hoping above all others that Draco was able to follow soon enough.

* * *

**Comments:**

Well, I don't think anything needs quite explaining. Nothing really happens in this chapter but it's needed as a bit of a filler for the next one.

I'll just keep writing more of my story until the next post and until then, see you all and have a good one!


	23. 12 Grimmauld Place

**Hi all! Yes, another chapter so soon. Have written a bit on the chapter that I am writing at the moment, but I really couldn't be arsed writing and decided to post instead. But I dunno when the next one will be, so please bear with me.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed; it always makes me have incentive to keep writing. As much as I would write it myself anyway, the notion that people are reading this and liking what they read is just awesome. I love hearing it as it's just such a morale booster. **

**Now, after the sentimental bit's out of the way, onto comments:**

**KellyRiddle88** Haha! J'espere que vous s'etes amusee tres bien, en faisant la chose que vous faisiez. J'attends avec impatience pour vos revues parce qu'elles sont toujours bien de lire. Merci! Ce 'installment' est tres long - il y a 13 pages de "Word".

**Kstarr47:** I like that people enjoy reading it so much because it means that what I've written isn't shit, so that's always nice to know. I just hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint too many, due to the fact that there is one crucial piece of info in it that is either hit or miss with people. You will see upon reading it anyway.

**Ellie:** Hmm, Crabbe and Goyle, well I can picture who they would be like. Two dimwitted people who obviously need a leader to guide them in what to do. They would easily be led astray and for that reason, I guess you can't help but feel a little bit for them. Their fathers don't really seem like they would be there really so I dunno. Also, given what they had to do in HBP (for those who haven't read it, don't worry, it wasn't a major part of the storyline), they must put up with a lot. I've never really considered the question before. An interesting one, nonetheless. Thanks! Keeps me on my toes anyway.

**TrueBluePotterFan:** Well, this does fit into your fast update, long chapter category! I was going to break it up as there are two major things occur but there was no real point where that could happen so it will just have to go in as 13 pages of Word. I think I saw that there was something like 6300 words, so that's cool to know.

**chica91:** Yes, given that they are part of the Order, or rather, they would be now (being of age) then they will most definitely be there, as you will see in this chapter anyway. You'll see it in the next chapter as well.

**homestar-fan:** The meeting will be revealing, put it that way.

**lostindreams1001:** It's funny about the Apparating thing. Before I read HBP I had written that Dumbledore was going to do side-Apparition with Draco and Hermione instead of all three doing it separately. I also had written in the part about not wanting to simply Apparate inside someone's house before I read it in HBP too. So when I came across that in the book I was like hey! I already put that in! Awesome, I don't have to change it. I was bloody lucky in that some things have kind of panned out between my story and the book, well not everything obviously, but some of the smaller things.

**HikoMokushi:** Hey thanks! It really means a lot when people say stuff like that. I was truly hoping that everything was panning out nicely as well, given that it is only two weeks into his stay. But the part I was writing lately, I was very tempted to write in a piece of harmless snogging but I thought, no no, you must keep patient as well and you will be duly rewarded it for it. In my eyes anyway! Cos it would mean I didn't simply give in to temptation and make them get together when they weren't meant to. I had actually done that with Draco nearly kissing Hermione in Chapter... 18? I can't remember but I knew that it couldn't happen yet.

**preciousonee:** No, I actually had it that he was dreaming about Voldemort again, hence the hissing. I don't think Draco would have anything actually against snakes in general, but for the fact that it was Voldemort, he would.

To everyone else, loving the reviews and loving that everyone has something positive to say about it. It's great to hear. So here is chapter 23...

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**Chapter 23: 12 Grimmauld Place**

Not ten seconds later, they were all standing outside a large estate that was 10 Grimmauld Place. How Draco managed to get there after Hermione touched his arm like that, he didn't know. Nor did she seem aware of the affect it had on him when she did that. For the next five seconds after she Disapparated, his arm was filled with a curious prickle sensation that left his whole insides on edge. He was inwardly glad that he didn't give anything away when she did that because he was sure that if he did, she would surely panic, just like she had done the other morning in her bedroom. He didn't want to risk another humiliating situation when he had only just got over the last.

However, after that five seconds, he managed to calm himself enough to concentrate on the co-ordinates that Dumbledore had given him of the location of Order Headquarters. For some reason, they seemed familiar, yet he could not work out why they would.

Dumbledore muttered a couple of words under his breath and suddenly, number 14 and number 10 squeezed apart to reveal another house that had the number 12 on the letterbox.

It was still a very strange concept for Draco to find himself in; getting ready to enter into the headquarters of those who appeared to be fighting the war against Voldemort. Something that Dumbledore had told him at the Grangers' suddenly came flying back to him.

_He said that Snape would be here, didn't he? Why would he be?_

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted his question answered. Then he remembered back to that fateful day of being told of his movements over summer. Snape had been in the office to witness everything, from his announcement that he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, right up to the end when he was told that he would stay with the Grangers. In fact, it was Snape who had led him back to his dormitory to mull over the whole thing. There had not been a word spoken between them because Draco was still shocked and extremely outraged at what he was told. It had also not registered that Snape, supposedly a member of Voldemort's inner-circle, had been a witness to everything.

_If he saw me that day and knew of what was to happen to me, why didn't You-Know-Who come after me during the last two weeks?_

Suddenly, everything became all too clear. Snape had been fighting for Dumbledore, perhaps even for a long time. Yet his father had told him that Snape was one of You-Know-Who's most faithful servants. That only meant that he was fighting for both sides, although probably one moreso than the other. Double-crossing the enemy, much like in that James Bond book he had been reading, only who was the enemy in this case? He hoped against all others that it was Voldemort that was the enemy and not Dumbledore.

This little revelation about Snape hit Draco squarely in the stomach, causing him to almost double over in alarm. His stumble did not go un-noticed and Hermione looked at him in anxiety.

"Draco, what happened? Was it because of us Apparating and not using a portkey?" she asked.

"Er, no, not really. I just realised something, that's all," he muttered.

"Can you tell me what it was?"

Draco knew Hermione would ask but it was something that he didn't really wish to share with anyone, least of all a Gryffindor. It was not that he cared nothing for her but something as big as finding out that his Head of House was not who everyone believed him to be was something that he would rather share with the man in question and no one else; at least not for a while, anyway.

"If you don't mind, I don't really wish to talk about it, actually."

Hermione looked at him in almost hurt but still responded with an "As you wish."

He knew that she would feel annoyed at not being told, especially after all the things that they had shared over the last couple of weeks but he just couldn't do it. It was something that he would have to talk about later with her. For now, it was just going to have to wait.

Dumbledore opened the door to the house and the first thing that they heard was the screaming of a woman's voice.

"Traitor! Mudblood! What on earth is a descendant of two honoured families doing amongst the rest of this scum?" it yelled.

The source of the screaming was none other than the portrait of his great-aunt, who cursed firstly at Dumbledore and Hermione and then threw the question to Draco. Now he knew why the co-ordinates seemed so familiar to him; he was standing inside the manor that used to belong to his great-aunt.

"It's about time someone came to sort out the mess that has appeared in the last year!" She kept yelling. "Although I would have thought it would be your mother first."

"Er –" Draco didn't know what to say. To be truthful, he had never met his mother's aunt prior to now and her portrait was almost the same as the real thing.

"Quick," Arthur Weasley's voice was heard coming from another room. "Help us out by closing the curtains over her portrait!"

Dumbledore reacted the fastest, much to the surprise of Draco who had never seen him as agile as then. He grabbed one side of the curtain and cast a spell on it to ensure that it remained closed in front of the portrait of Mrs Black.

"Draco," he said at last. "I'm sure that you are aware that this is your great-aunt."

"Yes," he replied, still somewhat startled by her reaction. "Although I've never met her before. What are we doing in here then, if this is the Black estate? This is a house full of supporters of the Dark Arts."

Dumbledore motioned for the others to follow him up the hallway. Weasley Sr. had disappeared ahead of him while Dumbledore explained about his ancestry.

"Because," he answered, "this house once belonged to your mother's cousin, Sirius Black."

"Sirius? That damned dog? But he was killed a year ago! Why wasn't it ever handed to my mother, as the rightful heir after him of the estate?"

"Please do not talk about him like that, Draco. You do not know how much he sacrificed for the rest of us. He was one of our greatest members of the Order and it was a heavy loss to us when he was killed by your aunt Bellatrix."

Upon hearing the mention of Bellatrix, Draco quickly reached up and covered his ears with his hands. "Please don't say her name to me ever again, Sir," he muttered before bringing them down again. "She was not tarred with the same brush as the rest of our family. Even father thought that she was mad a lot of the time, especially when she would not cease in chasing after that madman after he perished the last time."

"I do beg your pardon, Draco, I was not aware of that. However, you did ask why it was not given to your mother. The thing is; it was."

Draco stared at Dumbledore. "Are you sure?"

"Certainly, otherwise Order headquarters would no longer be situated here." Upon seeing another blank expression of Draco's, Dumbledore explained the situation. "I think you already know that your mother was against most things that your father did and can only be glad that you did not wish to follow in his footsteps. Therefore, after your fifth year when the estate was passed on to her, she informed me that she knew it was being used as the Order headquarters and wished it to remain that way. It was her way of showing that she wished things didn't happen to those around her and by doing that, she could perhaps contribute a small portion towards the fight against Voldemort."

"Oh." Nothing more would come to Draco's mind and so he had to leave it at that.

They all reached what seemed to be the formal lounge room at the end of the hallway and entered. However, the first person that Draco spotted sitting in a big leather lounge chair on the other side of the room was none other than –

"Potter!"

He turned to exit the room when he heard the quiet yet very menacing voice of his Head of House.

"Refrain from leaving, Mr Malfoy."

He started and turned to face the person who had spoken the words.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Draco. I am here as well."

"What's Malfoy doing here?" Potter said, clearly annoyed.

Draco turned back around towards him and scowled at the other boy, who was glaring straight back at him. It was only then that he realised that Hermione hadn't moved from the doorway to be with her precious friends, much to Draco's relief. It was kind of comforting to know that she didn't desert him wholly in this new place that she was obviously familiar with. He didn't wish to show his nervousness but nonetheless, having his Head of House there with him as well as Hermione, who had proven herself to be someone whom he could trust, was something that made things a lot easier.

"Hermione," Potter asked again. "What is Malfoy doing here?"

"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed. "You do not know how important the information that Draco has for the Order! It could potentially save quite a few lives!"

"What? You're calling him 'Draco' now?" interjected the Weasel, who was sitting to Potter's right.

"Ron, what's the matter with you? Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Why didn't you reply to my letter?" he asked fiercely, narrowing his eyes. "What were you and that prat doing all this time?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Weasel," Draco responded, smirking gleefully.

"Draco!" Hermione rounded on him. "You're as bad as those two! If you three can't sort out your problems then there's nothing I can do to convince you to think otherwise. You all need to build bridges and get over your problems!"

Next thing they all knew, Hermione had stormed out of the room leaving all three to continue to glare at each other.

After several prickly minutes, Weasley approached Draco and stood face to face with him. "This is all your fault, Malfoy," he muttered. "I don't know what you did to Hermione over the last couple of weeks but I'm going to make sure that you _don't_ do it again."

"Weasley, you're threatening me?" Draco smirked again. "What gives you the right to even speak to me? You're about as high up in this world as that rug in front of the fire there." He pointed to the fireplace which housed the rug in front of it.

Not one of them could continue in their cross-fire because the next person to talk was Dumbledore.

"Draco, Harry and Ron! If you three wish to take part in the fight against Voldemort then you need to at least be civil to one another! Now Harry and Ron, Draco has some very important information that I wish for everyone in Headquarters to hear, which is why everyone will be coming here soon. And Draco, you cannot abide by your own laws now. If it weren't for Hermione and her family, you would have been given up for Voldemort weeks ago."

"I know Sir, but –"

"Now, I know that you have come to know the Grangers fairly well and for that reason, would not speak ill of them. However, while you are here, you are to treat everyone here with respect, Harry and Ron included."

Draco said nothing but glared darkly at the older man. Dumbledore took it as positive sign and turned back to the others.

"The same goes for you two as well. I do not wish to hear any of you three causing any raucous or harm to anyone, simply because you cannot sit in the same room without incident. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Potter and Weasley mumbled.

"Draco?"

_Damn him!_

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Now, the rest of the Order members have been waiting for you to finish your bickering outside the room. I hope that I can instruct them to come in now."

He called to the other members and Draco saw quite a large number of people enter the room. So many, in fact, that he wondered whether they were all going to fit inside the admittedly spacious yet overcrowded room. The problem was rectified by Dumbledore and Snape conjuring up some more chairs of varying shape and colour for those who had missed out on the regular chairs. Draco looked about the room to see if he recognised anyone's faces. There was those two annoying Weasley twins – the ones who had caused so much trouble in Draco's fifth year with Umbridge and who, Draco reluctantly confessed, had made memorable departures from Hogwarts that day; perhaps an older Weasley or two, in fact, it seemed the whole family was there, even the youngest Weasley; a couple whom Draco had only seen in Diagon Alley every so often; that werewolf Lupin, his own cousin Nymphadora Tonks, although he had never really spoken to her before; a few Aurors whom he recognised from his father's work with the Ministry (when he was working there of course); a few more people Draco did not recognise and the last two were Victor Krum and a girl who appeared to be his girlfriend.

_But wasn't he with Hermione at one point? I wonder if he was the reason why she didn't let me kiss her that day? And since when has Krum been on the side of good?_

"Now everyone," Dumbledore announced when all were seated. "I have called you all here today for a very important reason. You all know that Draco Malfoy has been living with Hermione Granger and her family because Voldemort sees him as a potential recruit." There were a few small nods in the crowd as he mentioned this. "It seems that Draco may have proven to be a valuable asset for us. You see, before he left Hogwarts, he obtained some vital inside information from Messrs Crabbe and Goyle about an attack that was to occur. Now, we don't know what that information could be since we have not been able to obtain any other information about it; however this gives us a great lead on what they plan to do. Draco," he turned to face him, "would you care to stand up and tell the rest of the Order exactly what it was that they told you as well as the vivid dream that you had? Despite of what I said earlier about it, any piece of information, no matter how sceptical it first seems, is still important."

"Do I have to?" Draco asked in frustration.

"Yes, Draco. You do."

Draco said nothing to begin with and could soon feel all eyes turning to face him. It was not a great position to be in, especially since a lot of the looks were ones of disapproval. Nevertheless, he stood up to face his audience. He snuck a look at his Head of House, who only looked back at him in what others would mistake as disinterest but that Draco took as a silent admiration. He also caught sight of Hermione, who had managed to sneak back into the room undetected, looking in his direction, but her face was showing nothing more than concern. She rested her hands on her knees and leant forward on her chair in anticipation to what he was about to say, giving Draco the feeling that despite nearly every other head in the room not wanting to hear what he was about to say, at least there were two who did.

He took a deep breath and spoke.

"As Headmaster said, an attack was to occur on one of the Ministry officials during the summer break. There was no mention of who that was or when it was going to happen but the reason for it was in order to make the demands of the Death Eaters and that madman met quicker."

"As if you ever wanted to defy him!" Weasley's voice could be heard the minute Draco stopped to draw breath.

"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs Weasley's voice rang throughout the room. "Do not _ever_ interrupt someone when they are speaking, do you hear me?"

Draco looked at him and saw that once again, much like that fateful day of learning of his plans for summer, Weasley was bright red with embarrassment and looking down at his feet. _Cop that, Weasley!_ He took it as a sign of continuing.

"That was all I found out from those two about what was to happen. Then last night, I had a pretty bad dream about it again. I could hear a couple of voices below me talking and from what I could hear and understand, the maniac had captured an Obliviator called Peasegood to reverse the memory charm that he had put on Neville Longbottom in order for him to remember seeing the torture of his parents –"

He could not continue due to the upheaval that had started in the room. Whispers soon became louder and before too long, there was general chaos in the room.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone stopped at the sound of Dumbledore's voice. "He is not yet finished; please wait to speak when young Draco has finished everything that he wishes to say."

All was quiet for a few moments, but Draco still did not speak. In fact, he had trouble finding his voice after the interruption. He tried desperately hard to remember where he was up to but his memory failed him. It was then that he heard someone get up and walk towards him. Looking up, he saw Hermione approach him and stand beside him, still watching him intently for what he was to say. Relief poured through Draco that someone, especially Hermione, had sensed his anxiety of the situation and he once again found what he was going to say.

"By releasing Longbottom's memory, apparently remembering something as horrible as watching your parents being tortured would drive anyone mad. According to my dream, Voldemort plans to take out each Order member one by one, especially those who proved to be quite capable in the battle in the Ministry. He thought that Longbottom was worthy of this, strangely enough. He wants to destroy those around Potter to make it easier for him to take him on. Longbottom, it seems, was going to be first according to my dream."

The room was silent for perhaps the longest time where no one seemed to be able to think of anything to say. Draco snuck a look at Snape, who only looked back in slight concern. He could sense why; Longbottom had never been one of Snape's favourite pupils but Draco knew that even Snape did not wish to see harm to another student if it could be avoided. Finally, it was Snape himself who stood up and broke the silence.

"I believe that we all owe something to Mr Malfoy for this information. Normally we do not get these sorts of facts until a couple of days before their days of execution so for us to have something this important so early, is something very valuable to us. Thank you, Draco."

_Have I missed something? Did Snape just thank me? What happened to his Slytherinness? Quick! You need to say something!_

"Sir," he responded with a curt nod of his head. Snape returned it and sat back down.

"Thank you, Draco, you may sit down now," Dumbledore instructed. Draco found his chair beside Snape and sat down hard in it, trying to escape the now reluctantly gracious eyes staring at him. Hermione had remained beside him throughout the rest of the account, much to the great annoyance of Potty and Weasel, before sitting down in the chair she had previously occupied. This only made Draco smile inwardly that she had shown that she wanted to help him and be there for him in front of them. It kind of made everything that had happened between the two of them click into place. He knew that Hermione was really a good person, despite her flaw of being firstly a Muggle-born (except that lately this proved to be not that important) and her major one, being a Gryffindor (not so easy to forgive). It was then, however, that he realised how much she did care about him by openly supporting him while he told his story.

He sighed in relief at having finished his story and stared towards the front where Dumbledore was speaking for a moment. There were a few other things that were mentioned during the meeting but Draco did not listen to one word of them. He kept looking over at Hermione, who every now and then would turn her direction back to him and give a small smile.

It was only when Dumbledore said, "Thank you everyone for coming and I hope that we can all meet up again on Tuesday to discuss this matter further", that Draco realised that the meeting was over.

_Thank God, I don't know how much longer I was going to have to spend in the company of all those people, mostly Gryffindors to boot._

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snape wander out of the lounge room and into the hall. Quickly, Draco followed him in an attempt to speak to him.

"Sir?" he called.

Snape turned around. "That was very useful what you said, Draco."

"Er, thanks Professor." Draco threw the question that he had been wanting to ask around in his mouth, trying to get his tongue to form the words. "Sir, can I ask you a question?"

Snape visibly tensed, as if sensing what was coming.

"What's that?"

"Er, I was wondering what you were doing here."

Snape looked sharply around him for any Extendable Ears or the like. "Follow me, Draco," was all he said.

Draco nearly had to run to keep up with the tall, dark man as he strode up the stairs and into an empty bedroom. When he abrubtly stopped to turn around, Draco nearly ran into the back of him and only just stopped before he did so. Snape only stared down at him before muttering softly to himself and pointing his wand at the door to set the wards and a silencing charm upon the room.

"Draco, I want you to promise me that whatever I tell you just now, stays in this room. Understood?" he looked intently at Draco, something that Draco was yet to grow accustomed to, given that most of Snape's barbs were usually pointed at someone other than him.

"Er, yes Sir. I won't tell anyone."

"Good because if you do, you won't just be putting me in danger. You'll also be putting every other member of the Order, including yourself under threat. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Professor."

Snape visibly relaxed and sat down on the empty bed. He motioned for Draco to sit in the soft chair that was in front of the big mahogany desk. It was not right to see Snape in a state of discomfort. The problem was, Draco knew that that was how he was feeling with what he was going to say. It was like that time when his mother surfaced from her room extremely pale and visibly frail. In other words, he realised at that moment that Snape was still human.

"Draco, I'm sure it was a shock to discover that I was on Dumbledore's side as opposed to the Dark Lord's."

"I'll admit that."

"The perception of me in the eyes of everyone else is not who I am. I feel the need to tell you this since you have discovered yourself that the Dark Lord is not the ideal lord that your father believed him to be. Therefore, I believe that for you to be able to protect yourself in the next year when Hogwarts is back in, you will need someone whom you can trust; someone who appears to be someone whom they are not in reality.

"Draco, I despise the Dark Lord."

This was news to Draco; his father had always told him how much Voldemort favoured those like his father, Snape and even Crouch Jr. (before he received the Dementor's Kiss, that is). Being told that one of these men absolutely hated the so-called Lord was something of a shock.

"Yes, I know it seems that I am one of his most faithful servants and whilst he knows that I am close to Dumbledore, he believes that it is for his benefit and not the other way around. For this reason, I find it difficult to believe that I was not informed of this attack beforehand."

"I remember Crabbe saying that there was something planned and that I think it was for all the younger members to carry out. Maybe that is why you never knew."

"I hardly see that as the reason. He normally lets the other Death Eaters know before the younger recruits. That has me thinking now."

He looked at his hands intently and said nothing more. Draco knew he probably shouldn't but he had to know Snape's own motives for going against Voldemort, to see whether they were the same as his father's.

"Sir, do you mind me asking what made you want to leave Voldemort's ranks in the beginning?"

"What good will that knowledge do?" the words were said rather harshly.

"I – I just wanted to know, Professor, that's all."

Snape stared back at Draco but gave no other movements. After what seemed like hours, he sighed silently and started to speak.

"Very well, but be aware that I am not going to repeat this information to anyone else except yourself. It is not something that I wish for anyone to hear, especially Miss Granger. Understood?"

"Yes Sir."

"The only reason for my telling you is because you of all people Draco, given the situation that you are in now, have a right to know. Mind you, if you were anyone else, you would not be hearing this. However, I believe that as Lucius' son, and the one whom Voldemort seeks now even before Potter, you should perhaps know my reasoning.

"I think that you will need to know the reason why I joined in the first place before I tell you the reason for my wanting to leave.

"It started out during my years at Hogwarts. Unfortunately for me, I was much smarter than the rest of those in my year level, except at Quidditch. No, that title belonged to Potter Sr. and his gang." The words were spoken with quiet venom that only Snape could manage. However, he continued. "The thing was, not even those in my own House were favourable towards me. They thought I was a threat to them and they never ceased to tell me that I shouldn't be in their house and that I should have been a Ravenclaw. This bothered me greatly because not only did I always believe I should be in Slytherin by right as a pureblood, but also because I later realised that they were in fact right. I would have been much happier as a Ravenclaw, given that they were more on my level. Despite this, I continued to strive at what I knew best; schoolwork. In particular, I always found Potions to be alluring however my one field that I thought I would end up working in was Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Draco blinked in surprise. "But we always believed that you were very skilled _in_ the Dark Arts, rather than defending against them. Why would you want to fight them if you knew so much of how to perform them?"

"That is another story, Draco. Let's just say that in order for my surviving childhood, I needed to be familiar with at least some of the more complex hexes and jinxes. Anyway," he said dismissing the topic," that is something else. I always wanted to learn more counter jinxes and hexes so that I could hopefully put an end to the incidents that occurred around me when I was younger. That is the reason for my interest in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

So, why did I end up becoming involved with the master of Dark Arts himself? Well, the reason for my wanting to be involved with Defence Against the Dark Arts is the same one that provoked me into joining the Dark Lord. Of course, he wasn't known to be called the Dark Lord back then. He was still known as Lord Voldemort and did not force people to bend down and kiss his robes. That came later. Tom Riddle was about twenty years older than me, young by wizard standards. When he came into power the first time, he was only a man in his late 30's. I on the other hand was still a boy at only 19, not much older than you. The provocation that he used on all the young and naïve purebloods was that Muggles and Muggle-borns were the source of all evil. Ironically, I would come to learn that it was the complete opposite and that I had had a hand in that very evil. He made out that they were the cause of our oppression from the outside world in the 20th century and that they must be stopped before they wipe us out. I had wondered whether this was true but in my desire to eliminate all evil-doers of that time, I learned more and more of the Dark Arts in my attempt to destroy those who had been accused of using them.

"He put out the word during my final year at Hogwarts that he was after members to join his battalion to rid the world of darkness and release the Wizarding World from oppression in our own World. I, being part of the so-called peace movement of the day, or what Muggles refer to as the Hippy decade, had relished in the chance to bring some form of peace to the Wizarding World and jumped at the chance.

"To begin with, an initiation ceremony was performed on all new recruits, where the Mark was embellished on their skin; an excruciatingly painful procedure that was as bad as being hit with the Cruciatus Curse. Of course, I did not know what the Cruciatus Curse was at the time, nor did I give it much thought as to why such a painful process was to be performed on a group of dark fighters. I only realised that there was something wrong with his preachings about six months after I joined. During this time, he hadn't really done anything that compared to what he did during the First War, but still, every now and then we would hear of a Muggle-born being forced to give up their wand or threatened with death if they dared step back into the Wizarding World. Initially, I thought that what he was doing was right, until he did something that I didn't think constituted as being remotely correct. After someone had let a Muggle-born get away, he sent us all into his office chamber, a large room with a formal desk and meeting area, and demanded that we all watch what would happen to traitors. He _Crucio_'ed the young man, who started screaming the minute the curse hit him, until he started to bleed through his nostrils and mouth when he finally let him go. The man would not have been any older than me and believe it or not, was actually an ex-Hufflepuff. Dimwitted as they all are, what he received as punishment was by no means what should have happened. Prior to this, the only form of punishment was a quiet word of 'try a little harder next time'.

"After that, Lord Voldemort demanded to be known as the Dark Lord and 'Master' and people who refused or even who forgot to call him these things were cruelly tortured or killed, simply because he found them to be not worthy of his cause. I could not bear to let the same thing happen to me and so I took part in everything that he threw at us. From Muggle raids to torturings, I was there for everything. That is, until I realised that the war was well and truly happening around us.

"I knew what I had been doing was completely wrong but I could not find a way to go against the man who had shown various signs of madness throughout his attempts at ridding the World of Muggles and Muggle-borns. As well as that, the rewards that he gave us for completing the tasks were rich and beyond our beliefs. Another factor that kept me fighting for him was the Dark Arts themselves. Despite my wish to rid the world of the Dark Arts, as I mentioned before, we used those very Arts to supposedly defend against them. They gave me an overwhelming sense of power that nothing else could give me. Once the Dark magic flows through you, it takes incredible force to rid it from your body. I am glad that it no longer runs through mine, with the exception of the Dark Mark of course but I have not used any form of Dark Magic since my days during the first war and I have not been tempted to either. I can only be glad of that fact; otherwise things could have been very different nowadays.

"That brings us to the reason for what made me want to leave his ranks, because as you well know I still work under him but as a spy. It was because I woke up one morning and realised that everything that I thought I was fighting for was not it at all. Nothing that I had wished for a couple of years earlier had eventuated. Nothing at all. It was at that point that I decided to give myself up to Dumbledore.

"The only problem was, the blasted man failed to send me to where I belonged – Azkaban – but instead, asked that I remain under the Dark Lord's eyes and work as a spy. At first, I refused to be thrown back into the dreadful place but within a week, I saw reason and thought that if I truly wanted to rid the Wizarding World of atrocities like the ones I had previously been involved in, I would have to feed the Order information from the inside. It was their only chance aside from front-on attacks. As it was known, the Dark Lord was defeated due to a lot of careful plans being made as well as perhaps some luck.

"This time around, the same thing was asked of me. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort had not been killed but that he was merely a spirit that was floating around, trying to find a body to occupy. When it became known during your forth year that he had returned, Dumbledore called in all of the old Order members, a lot of whom you have seen here, to rejoin the fight against him. And so I am a spy once more."

Throughout this, Draco sat still, listening to his Head of House, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. The man, his Head of House, telling him everything contrary to the opinion that he had had of him prior to this night.

Snape looked at him in mild curiosity. "I see my words have had some effect on you, have they not?"

"I – I don't know what to say, Sir."

"There is nothing you can say, Draco. I made a mistake when I was younger and I am paying for it dearly now. Of course, I only hope that it will not continue to be like this for too much longer and that after this whole thing is over, this dreaded Mark will cease to be a curse on me. Be very thankful that you came to your senses early on before he could truly get a hold over you. The same cannot be said of Messrs Crabbe and Goyle, however. For that reason, you must try to stay clear of them throughout your final year. It is far too dangerous for you to continue to spend time with them."

"I don't think that that will be a worry; neither one of them managed to get into most of the subjects that I chose to do."

"Ah, yes," Snape said, one eyebrow quirked. "I knew that they would never be good enough to study N.E.W.T. Potions. What a shame." Although he didn't sound too concerned.

"But I know what you're saying, Sir. Thanks for letting me know."

"Is that it then?" Snape rose from his seat on the bed.

"Yes Sir. I know everything that I wanted to."

"And so does the Order. Dumbledore will probably let you go back to the Grangers' now. It would be far safer for you to remain there as opposed to staying here. Although from what I've seen, this doesn't appear too much of a concern for you." Snape didn't look overly impressed about this. Draco decided not to push things.

"If everything is now as good as it can get," Snape continued, "then I must bid you goodbye for I have other things that must be done after hearing the news of the attack," and he got up from the couch.

"Thanks, Sir."

They both left the room where Snape wandered into the kitchen where the Weasleys were sitting and Draco went to find Hermione in the lounge.

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**Comments:**

Was Snape too out of character or not? I kind of had the impression that he would have been mislead, because he was seeking someone who would treat him as an equal, or so he would think. Voldemort (as we have learnt) is very charismatic and I think that this would influence Snape greatly.

Well, see you all until next time...


	24. Accusations

Hey all! It's about time I updated this story so here goes. I was able to write a fair bit lately and I've now written up to and including Chapter 28 and have started 29 so it's only fair to give you the next installment. Personally, I like this cos it has a bit of interaction between a few more characters although it is only relatively short. So it seemed anyway.

Well, onto comments I think, I can't really think of much else to say except thank you to everyone who reviewed and also that I hope this wasn't too late in updating. I'm sorry if it was, I've just been wanting to keep ahead of myself and what everyone else is up to, it makes for a better story cos it gives me some breathing space... So I don't end up stuffing up later on.

Oh yeah, if you don't mind, I'll write responses to my OneShot Rammstein fic here just cos it was precisely that - a one-shot - so questions for it aren't gonna be answered in it. And beware if you haven't read HBP; there might be spoilers in the reviews.

**Kstarr47:** Haha! I never thought of the "As You Wish" like that, although I know exactly what you are talking about. Unfortunately that wasn't the crucial piece of info. The crucial piece, if I remember correctly, was Snape's revelation (which is what the chapter was going to be called, but I thought that that was giving too much away... although if it was possible to break the chapter up, again which was something that I was going to do, the second part would have got that title). Thanks for you other comment, I really like hearing that. It shows that I've managed to keep everything right and grammar and whatever hasn't hindered on the rest of the story. Although I try to make sure that there aren't any of those problems.

**Mirei:** That's awesome. I wondered how people would take to Snape being a hippie, although that wasn't what I was going for. It was only for the fact that he was in that same era, I highly doubt that Snape would have been a hippie himself. I just reckon that he would have encountered a fair bit of abuse from his father as a child and pretty much being an outcast that I thought that he would, if given the chance, would have wanted to fight against those who oppressed him.

**KellyRiddle88:** Helas, ce chapitre n'est pas long, a 8 pages, cependant je pense que c'est toujours bien a lire. Ah oui, pour Du Riechst So Gut, j'aime ecrire "One Shots" ! Ca va mieux pour ecrire cette histoire si je fais un petit changement et j'ecris "OneShot" entre chapitres. En anglais, c'est un peu plus facile a expliquer. They make for a good break from writing such a long-winded story. J'ai un autre OneShot Songfic sur l'Internet, toutefois, c'est pas sur ff . net, mais adultfanfiction . net. So no good for under-age readers unfortunately.

**Yoli128:** Hope this was soon enough! Thanks!

**HikoMokushi:** haha! I reckon that if I made them kiss, everyone would be cheering but at the same time, saying, where's more interaction and snogging between the two? The meeting was going to happen anyway so there was no point in them getting all lovey-dovey yet. Besides, it caused more tension between the two! Oh yeah, getting reviews helps me to better understand how people are perceiving my story as well as giving the reviewer a chance to get a question answered, if something is bothering them about it, if things weren't quite clear in the story. As well as I feel that it's true; you do feel more involved in how a story goes. I also like to incorporate people's suggestions into it, although it won't be in a major way to affect the storyline. That's something that I (pretty much) know the outcome of. About HBP, I think Snape did know what Narcissa was asking him because there was that moment's pause before he answered her during the unbreakable vow about whether he would carry out the task if Draco couldn't. Although, I will still say that I think Snape is good. My reasons? There was no evidence to suggest that he attacked anyone on the side of good in Hogwarts at the end, it was only when Harry was attacking him that he retaliated.

**yoshimay:** In this story, Snape isn't lying; he's really on the Order's side as I believe that he is in the actual story as well. Just refer to the above response for my reasons.

**blondiluvbanana:** Yep, Snape's good! Thanks for the niceties!

**snoopy:** Haha! Thanks, I hope you get this far to read this. I like hearing things like that and I hope you keep with my story. Just realised that you had got up this far and even more glad to hear you read them all in one go, that's awesome! Thanks! I'm glad about Draco being in character and I agree, I don't like reading the same cliches over and over either. Hope you enjoy this chappy as well... :-)You'll get to see him acting a bit more Malfoy-esque this chapter. Being at Grimmauld Place, he is bound to have some run-ins with a couple of certain Gryffindors.

**harryluvzginny:** Yep, the plot just keeps thickening... ;-) Yeah, I wondered about Snape, although I thought that it kind of needed to be said for Draco to get a complete understanding of Snape's character. He has grown up to believe him to be one person when in actual fact, he is another. He would have been confused as to why Snape was privvy to all things Order-ish and especially his outburst in Dumbledore's office that day. Even tho he is his Head of House, the matter was Order related still and Dumbledore wouldn't betray it ever.

**Ellie:** I reckon Snape is good. The first time I read the books (the first four) I had doubts still as to whether Snape was good. But then when I read the books again before reading OOTP, I thought he really was good, and OOTP confirmed it and I really liked him (as noted in my pen-name!). Then when I read them (first five) again before HBP, I still thought he was good and even in HBP, I still maintain that he's good. That make sense? In other words, at first I wasn't sure but now, and even after HBP, I reckon he's good. I've said the reasons why to **HikoMokushi** above so I won't go into it again, but there's evidence to suggest he's still good, despite what he did at the end of the book.

**Lady-Crymsyn:** Perhaps not, but he has only been like that with Draco, and I gave my reasons for Draco needing to know during the chapter. You have reason to think that tho cos I had wondered whether he came out a little OOC. I just wasn't sure on how else for Draco to find that info out.

**Sytherin-Princess:** If you say that, I won't question it! And that really means a lot too, thanks:-)

**lollylover:** Thanks! I never tire of hearing that sort of thing, there's no point in denying it... ;-) But I also like what else you said. You give constructive reviews and I found that you had a point. Perhaps it was done a little lightly but I was under the assumption that only Dumbledore, Snape and now Draco knew about Snape so that was why I guess it came off a bit light. But I will certainly take into consideration how Draco perceives Snape now; I think having read your review that a tie-in with that Chapter is needed for when they return to Grimmauld Place on the Tuesday. I haven't got up to that part yet so I'll store that info mentally until I get up to it... thanks again! Oh yeah, for Du Riechst So Gut, Rammstein's lyrics are in German, hence the reason why all the song lyrics were in German and not English. The song lyrics were the bold, italics. It's just that a translation was needed at the end for obvious reasons. But for songs in other languages, I prefer to keep them in the storyline just cos I feel that it gives a better feeling for it. Although I guess it would be better if people could understand them first off... I forgot to mention that the translation was at the end. Oh well, hope it didn't deter from it completely.

**Darkwing731:** The anticipation is getting me as well, don't worry. Will they or won't they? They will when the time is right, just like with everything. I hardly believe that anyone simply jumps into a relationship or anything else like unknown territory without seriously considering it first. But anyway, up until this point, I didn't think Snape had spoken a great deal but you are entitled to your opinion. I don't think we will see Snape talking a great deal after this anyway. And yeah, I did read HBP, at first I was pleased with it but afterwards I had a few criticisms but JK still wrote a good book, don't get me wrong... ;-) Well, hope this chappy is okay as well.

**Ravynsword:** What chances, the one team I choose, purely because I really don't know many League sides, was the one that you liked, that's funny! Soccer/Football is so not my territory that I was going to have Robert as a Man U fan, purely because I don't know many other teams, except for Leeds (when Harry Kewell was playing for them), Arsenal and Liverpool. I've heard that Liverpool is one of the most popular sides in the League and it proved to be easier that Robert like them. I'm glad he acts like a British football fan tho, I figure that they can't be much different from any other sports fan (Australian Rules Footy fans are shocking at times; footy is a second religion in many small country towns here and the outcome of a game can dictate what sort of mood a person who supports one of the sides will be for the next week until the next game. Onto Snape, who has been the hot topic for this Chapter, I'm glad you didn't think he was too OOC, it's only that Draco needed to know why Snape was always around when his protection was so important, when prior to it Draco thought he was in Voldemort's inner circle. And yeah, I also like the bond that he has formed with Robert. I think that he needed it and probably so does Robert in a way.

**lostindreams1001:** I know I say this about a lot of chapters, but I liked it too. I think it was cos a lot of familiar faces came back as well as just in general, some details surface that may not have been obvious or whatever. I could be rambling now. But I try to keep a lot of the chapters from being too scarce in detail or whatever, so that each one is interesting in its own right. Point noted about Harry, Ron and Draco. You'll be able to judge for yourself whether or not that will occur soon tho; they do encounter one another in this chapter.

**Lientje:** I still think Dumbledore is right about Snape as well; I think he did change after the first war, even tho it may not be so obvious after HBP. Having said that, I sincerely hope that you've read it... ;-) Don't worry about having not reviewed; I'm just glad you're still reading this. To me, that's really all that matters, as suck-up-ish and corny as that sounds.

**sepoto4284:** I guess it had to happen in the books that Ron and Hermione got together. Although I'm still unsure how I feel about Ron. I think he is incredibly conceited, but being the youngest boy of 6, I guess it probably has been difficult for him. But still, he is conceited. About Snape, I've had mixed responses about him, some feeling he wasn't OOC, others thinking he was a bit or whatever, but since I don't know if we will be hearing much from him, well, I can't see him revealing any more of his secrets, so the concentration can be put again on Draco and Hermione. Yay! Anyway, hope this chappy is okay.

To everyone else, thank you for reviewing! For this, here is Chapter 24...**  
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**Chapter 24: Accusations**

After watching Draco depart from the room with Snape, Hermione turned back towards the fire in the lounge and caught both the wrath of Ron and Harry.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron demanded, faced contorted into a menacing glare.

"What do you mean?" she retorted.

"Openingly showing Malfoy that sort of affection. What's he done to you?"

_I knew it, I absolutely _knew_ this was going to happen._

"Ron, he's done nothing to me! What makes you think he has?"

"You were supporting him the entire time! Who do you call your real friends?"

"What?" she said defensively. "He had important information to tell the Order and I knew what it was! However, I also knew that it was very hard for him to say it!"

Ron scowled down at her, making Hermione feel ever so slightly threatened. "You should have let him suffer."

"Harry," Hermione pleaded, "You should know yourself how hard things are to explain, can you try and tell Ron this?"

"I'm sorry but I agree with Ron, Hermione," Harry added quietly. "You and Malfoy looked pretty chummy up there in front of everyone."

"Oh I don't believe I'm hearing this!" she raised her arms in exasperation. "So you both are completely neglecting the fact that Draco gave the Order a vital lead in the next attack?"

"Again with the 'Draco'!" Ron said annoyed. "I know he's done something to you, I just know it! What is it? Imperius Curse?"

"Ron! He's done nothing of the sort and furthermore, he wouldn't know how to perform it. Oh for God's sake," she added, seeing the look on his face, "there is no way that Lucius Malfoy taught him how to perform it, despite your prior prejudices against all things Slytherin. Are you forgetting Wormtail, a Gryffindor and your rat Scabbers?"

"DON'T remind me of him!" he rounded on her darkly.

"Hermione," Harry said, "What has happened between you and Malfoy?"

"Why do you think anything has?"

"Come off it, you were openly supportive of him during his speech and Ron has a point, you've never called him 'Draco' before."

"Look you two, I know you will find this very hard to believe but Draco is not the person you think he is. Harry, these last few weeks has proven that. Some of the things he has said to me have proven what sort of a person he is. He isn't Lucius, despite what you may have thought previously."

"How do you know he isn't lying? Remember what the sorting hat says about them? Something about them using anything to get their way?"

"'Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends', was that it?" she glared at him.

Harry look abashed. "You honestly remember all the sorting hat songs?"

"Bit and pieces, oh, and the one at the start of this year and fifth year. Anyway," she continued, "that's not the point. My point is that Draco – " she paused after seeing the looks they both gave her, "Malfoy then! But anyway, _Malfoy_ really is against Voldemort, no matter what you think. And he isn't as bad a house guest as you may have thought. Okay, at the start it was pretty tense and stuff but Dad soon made things clear to him that he wasn't going to get away with anything and he respected that."

Neither of the two boys said anything, so Hermione thought that the matter was finished. Until –

"You never answered my question, 'Mione," Ron said quietly. "Why didn't you respond to my letter?"

"Do you really want to know Ron because I don't know if you would be able to handle it."

"Why is that?"

"Because you jump to conclusions constantly."

"I do not!"

"How many times have I heard you accuse Snape of trying to kill Harry and how many times have you been proven wrong?" Ron said nothing. "Fine, I'll tell you but you won't be happy about it. I didn't respond because for starters, none of you owled me to ask how I was going at the start, considering it was Malfoy who was staying with me. Then when you did owl me, you told me all about how good your holidays have been and only asked how I was going as an afterthought."

"But you just told us that Malfoy has been a good houseguest!"

_Ugh! I don't believe this!_

"That's only been this last week really! At the start he made sure I knew that he didn't want to be there, put it that way."

There was a moment when neither Ron nor Hermione said anything. "You're right, 'Mione. I can't handle this. I'm going upstairs." With that, Ron took off up the stairs to the third floor and disappeared inside on of the bedrooms.

Hermione turned to Harry. "What is wrong with you two?"

"We just don't like the thought of Malfoy being inside your house, knowing what sort of trouble he can cause," Harry replied.

"I told you at the start that both Mum and Dad would be there as well. Harry, I know that both you and Ron would be worried about that but honestly, nothing bad has happened. In fact, I think he's getting on really well with Dad."

"What makes you think that?"

"Things they talk about. Last night they both watched the football together. From what I could hear, they were having a good time."

"You didn't watch it with them?"

"Harry, you know my opinion on Quidditch, so what makes you think I'm going to like football? Dad is the same with that as you and Ron are with Quidditch. To me, it's just a game."

"I suppose so."

Hermione was thankful she didn't have to explain the real reason for not watching the game with Draco because she didn't think that Harry would be able to handle it at that moment. Besides, she was still having trouble believing it herself.

"Harry, promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Promise that you'll be civil to Malfoy in public. If you don't want to be in private then that's fine but if we are all on the same side, then we should act it. If you want, I'll try to make sure he does too."

"You can try, 'Mione but I doubt he will comply as easily."

"I'll have a go anyway. I'll see. Thanks Harry."

"What about Ron?"

"I don't think he will, even though I would like him to be as well, although I can see it might be much harder for him than you."

"Probably."

It was at that point that Draco wandered back into the loungeroom. Hermione looked at him and smiled, something he returned in a small way, much to Potter's disapproval.

"This doesn't change anything between us, Malfoy," Potter narrowed his eyes at Draco and glared.

"Harry, you promised!" she said menacingly.

"If I remember correctly, I never actually said I would," he said, still looking at Draco. "I will only if he does."

Draco only smirked then looked at Hermione. "I believe we should be going, shouldn't we?"

"It's probably a good time to," she quickly answered, feeling the distinct tension in the air. "We'll see you again on Tuesday, Harry."

"Yeah, okay then."

They exited the room to go find Dumbledore.

"So," Draco said by way of breaking the silence.

"So, what?" Hermione responded, not sure of what he was going to say.

"So, what am I meant to be promising to?" he turned and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh. Look Draco, this is going to be hard to ask but I think that if we are all on the same side, in other words, the fight against Voldemort, then you, Ron and Harry should all try to get along."

It would have been assumed to an outsider that she has proposed that he climb the Eiffel Tower with nothing but his bare hands with the reaction Draco gave her. He turned around with such a prominent scowl on his face that she was instantly reminded of the horrible and annoying Malfoy of the previous six years.

_Think Hermione, think. He stopped all that, remember?_

"What did you say? Be nice to Potty and Weasel?"

"For God's sake Draco!" she said, visibly annoyed. "Why can't you, just in public, keep things civil between the three of you? We are all on the same side, remember that!"

"It's not as simple as that!"

"Why not?"

Draco looked at his feet. "Nothing."

"You aren't going to pull that on me again, Draco Malfoy! I understood why you didn't want to beforehand but you aren't going to do it to me again! Especially when it concerns my friends! Why isn't it as simple as that?"

Draco rounded on her so quickly that Hermione found herself up against the hall wall and wanting to get further back, without any success. The situation had suddenly become very dangerous and she was not sure what his next reaction was going to be. Given that he was only standing inches away from her, she was instantly put in a very defensive position.

"Because," he said quietly, "your precious Potty chose _not_ to be friends with me from day one, after I extended the hand of friendship to him." She could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke. "Would _you_ suddenly drop everything and become friends with someone who did that?"

Hermione knew that she should leave things but that last comment hit home with her. She found herself moving away from the wall slightly, narrowing the gap between her and Draco.

"I believe I just did with you."

Draco jerked backwards, obviously not expecting her to say anything after his threat and just stared at her for a good minute. Next thing, his face contorted into a smile, another genuine one that Hermione was sure he hadn't shown many people.

"Now I know for sure why the sorting hat put you in Gryffindor, Hermione." His voice was completely void of the threatening tone that he had used before but instead, very gentle. "You have a lot of nerve."

By this stage, Hermione was fully off the wall and facing Draco. "I'll take that as a compliment then, shall I?"

"Yes, you got me there." He straightened up again, and resorted back to his normal look of disinterest. "Look, put it this way. I'll try to keep from saying anything too nasty but I can't promise you that I will. You have to expect that if Potter or Weasel say anything then I'll be forced to retaliate."

"I hope they won't. I did ask Harry not to say anything, Ron I'm not so sure of. Sometimes I really don't know if many people have much control over what Ron does, even Ron himself."

"No, I've seen that as well. He is a bit of a danger unto himself, why else do you think it's so fun to rile him up?" he smirked.

"Draco," Hermione said threateningly, narrowing her eyes. "If you do that then forget about staying at my place for the rest of the summer. Go back to Voldemort!"

Draco flinched. "Christ, I was only joking."

"Somehow I don't think you were."

"Okay, I said I'll try to keep from putting them down, if they do of course, but as I said, I can't promise you that I'll do it because that would be far too difficult."

"Fine, I'll accept that. Well," she said, "we had better try to find Dumbledore if we want to get back home. This place always did give me the creeps."

"What in particular? The severed house elf heads or the collection of Dark Arts artefacts?"

"You know about the house elf heads?"

"They aren't hard to miss," he said, pointing up to the row of heads lining the wall of the hall. "But no, I heard about that little Black tradition. I can't say that I was terribly impressed with it. As much as I despise house elves, I don't think that I could bring myself to do that to them."

"It's quite disgusting. Anyway, I think Dumbledore is in the study. That's upstairs a few levels."

They headed upstairs, passing the third floor where Hermione knew that Ron was residing and could now hear a couple of voices in there. They didn't stop to listen but continued up the stairs to where Dumbledore was.

"Ah yes, I must return you to the Grangers', mustn't I?" Dumbledore said upon their entry.

"We ought to," Hermione responded, "Mum and Dad will probably want to know if we are alright."

"It seems that the meeting didn't go for quite as long as I thought it might. However, it is past lunchtime so you might want something to eat before I take you back. Allow me." Dumbledore withdrew his wand and conjured up a plate of salad sandwiches on the desk that Hermione knew once held a boggart, hoping there was not another in there. She could not face a scowling McGonagall telling her that she had failed all of her N.E.W.T. exams. "There, I'll give you a few minutes if you wish then I will come back up to fetch you. I must go speak to Molly before I leave so take your time."

The two of them sat quietly in the study, eating lunch whilst Dumbledore went off to speak with Mrs Weasley. Neither of them felt like talking but after the last two weeks, they didn't feel like they had to, either. It was comforting, in a way. Hermione knew that it must have been hard for Draco to tell the rest of the Order what it was that he had to, and could almost feel his emotions whilst he did it, which was partly the reason why she wanted to show that she was supporting him. The other reason was because she wanted to show everyone else that he was not on Voldemort's side, despite everything that they were led to believe. That even included the Order members themselves, feeling that his relation to Lucius would have been quite detrimental to him. If truth be told, she also wanted to show Draco himself that she was supporting him all the way. She didn't know why exactly, but she felt like she owed it to him after he had kept it secret for so long, thinking he couldn't trust anyone. Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with the previous few days whatsoever. Nothing at all.

And then she remembered in full that fateful day in her room. Everything that happened, right from the time when Draco entered her room, leaving a soft trail of male cologne from the door to her desk chair, and then to her bed, right up to the point where she jumped off the bed because he had made a move towards her.

_Why did I have to stop him?_

"What's that?" Draco's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Sorry?" she responded, completely unsure on why he would say that.

"You groaned, saying, 'why'." He looked at her quizzically.

_Oh crap, what the hell am I going to say to this?_

"Um… er I was just thinking of something else, that's all." _No second guesses as to what, good one Hermione, just spell it out for him next time._

Draco didn't say anything, but from the change of expression on his face, he didn't have to. Although Hermione was spared having to explain what it was because at that moment, Dumbledore came back into the room.

"Well then, you two," he said brightly, "if you are almost done, then I think the safest thing for you to do is to go back to your parent's place, Hermione. There can be no more further action until Severus meets with Voldemort and tries to obtain some more information. He should be done so before Tuesday, which was why I have asked that you come back again that day. Mr and Mrs Weasley will pick you up that time instead. However, I can take you back to your place for you now. You may wish to say goodbye to the others before you leave, yes?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. See you downstairs then."

As soon as he left, Hermione got up from the chair. "Well, I guess we better get going then."

"You aren't going to say goodbye to the others?" Draco asked in confusion.

"I don't think that it would be a good idea. I've already spoken to Harry and Ron, er, I don't think it would be a good idea to approach him at this stage. Although I better say goodbye to Ginny."

They both left the room and headed back down to the kitchen where only Ginny, Tonks and Lupin were occupying it. They were all talking about something that ceased upon them entering.

Not wishing to put Draco in any more discomfort, Hermione said loudly, "We are about to leave. Dumbledore is going to take us back to my place. I just needed to say goodbye first."

Ginny ran around the table and gave her a hug. "See you Tuesday, hey?"

"Yeah. Bye Professor, bye Tonks."

"Hermione," Lupin said in the same tone as one would use talking to a misbehaving child, "you don't need to call me Professor, remember that."

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that."

"That's perfectly alright. And Draco," Lupin addressed Draco, much to the latter's shock at actually being spoken to, "that was a damnsight good piece of information you gave us, so thank you."

Draco looked as if he could think of a thousand places he would rather be than there in that room. "Er, you're welcome."

"We best be off then. Bye!" And Hermione led Draco out of the room into the lounge where Dumbledore was waiting.

* * *

**Comments:**

None, as per usual now that I have neglected to add footnotes to the chapters. More along the lines of 'I can't be bothered', so if you have any problems with things, don't hesitate to ask. Thanks again to all my reviewers; I really like getting feedback for the chapters because it helps everyone, including me, to understand it better, or to incorporate things or to hear of things I've forgotten or whatever. It just helps.

Till next chapter... :-)

draco-severus-mmm


	25. Backyard Football

Ah yes, the time to update another chapter. No, I haven't written more; I'm still up to Chapter 29, but I'm kind of really unsure on whether to include ... or ... (sorry! That would only give it away!). Anyways, I thought that I had better upload given that it has been a while. Although I can only say that I perhaps won't update for a bit until I get another chapter written.

So, to all those who reviewed: thank you! I will try to answer your **comments** and things now...

**Mirei Nochi:** haha! I love those dreams. And such a lovely subject too! Yeah, I know what you mean about Ron; although this will sound weird; I didn't know that Americans used the word 'wanker'. I know that's gotta sound strange but it's just cos I've never heard it being used in movies or telly shows or whatever, so I just assumed that it was only used in Australia. Well, I guess it is!

**HikoMokushi:** Hmm, we won't go there (re: your first comment)... lol! although I completely agree with you... ;-) but I had better not update cos as I said before, I haven't written really anymore on it so I'm only causing more troubs for myself by uploading. Ah well, in the meantime, I guess I can simply sit back, become really lazy and not do anything... Hmm, kind of doing that now... woops!

**KellyRiddle88:** Aah, j'ai su que vous m'aviez demande cette question avant, mais j'ai oublie de la repondre. Woops! Alors, moi, je serrai tres heureuse comme 'Bride de Snape'... (hahahaha!), mais pouvez-vous me dire l'affaire de votre histoire? I gotta say that the title intrigues me. C'est pas grave, n'ecrire pas en francais, whatever is easiest for you.

**Sayaku-chan: **I know how you feel, honestly cos one of my favourite fics was finally updated since Feb just this past month and I was like Thank God! She didn't abandon it! But yeah, it's just that I've kind of hit a wall, not in terms of where it's gonna go but in terms of whether to skip a couple of days or carry on from where I am. Anyway, once I have that sorted out, things should be right.

**Steelo:** Yeah, although I think Harry will warm up a bit quicker than Ron. Green-eyed monster is playing a large part of Ron's life and I can't see him getting over it too quickly.

**Ellie:** Hmm, Snape liking Harry? I don't think that that will happen too soon but I just wish that they'd get over their differences. I honestly thought that Harry would feel better about Snape after the fifth book but his poor excuse to blame him for Sirius' death shat me. To answer your question, I can see (funnily enough), Harry and Draco being more friendly than Ron and Draco. I also think (as noted in my story and numerous others) that I reckon that Hermione and Draco can get along pretty well as well. I think it has something to do with both Hermione and Harry's wealth, as shallow as that sounds but Harry always has top quality books and/or brooms and even tho Draco feels threatened by this, he would be more inclined to hang around with Harry (if they were from the same house) than Ron. Same with Hermione, she obviously has money, given that again, both parents are dentists and she seems to be able to afford good things as well. I dunno, that's just an opinion. Also, cos I think that Harry at least listens to what Hermione says but I get the feeling that Ron doesn't, so if Hermione says that Draco has changed, even tho Harry doesn't want to believe it, I think he eventually would.

**Alexis:** I know and I'm also getting impatient (as I was writing the last couple of chapters) but I can only say, remain patient.

**Lientje:** Well, I guess it's better hearing 'I love your story' hundreds of times as opposed to 'i think you ought to remove this story, it sucks'. So I'm not fussed really. Hmm, interesting concept; maybe Ron, Harry and Draco do need to just give each other a severe beating, cos isn't that how most blokes solve problems? Just bash the crap out of someone? Perhaps Harry and Draco can but for some reason, I still don't see Ron being civil to Draco, especially because Hermione isn't with Ron.

**snoopy:** Hey that's good to know that it's quite convincing, that shows I've managed to keep within the storyline of JK. I can't quite remember but I think the two of them are slowly getting over their tension, or at least they are remaining more civil to one another as opposed to blowing up all the time. Or perhaps it is because Hermione can handle it better, I dunno.

**xxxJustLikeHermionexxx:** Yeah, I know, I just haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. That'll happen at the end I think.

**Sheryvia:** Haha! That's awesome! Although it can't do your sleeping pattern too good! I know what you mean; some stories have literally kept me up all night (also the crap prospect of doing homework has deterred me from going to bed as well). I'm glad this has had a similar affect. I only hope it continues to do so, as evil as that sounds! muhahahahahahha! No, it means I've done my job well.

**twilights kiss:** Hey, thanks for that. Hearing those sorts of things means a lot to me, so thanks again. Although I can't honestly say I quite understand about the Nazi thing; if I read it correctly, a Nazi welcomed into a Nazi family wouldn't create the same tension and awkward presence as what I mentioned, which was the kind of thing I was aiming for. Well, that is what I understood your note to be.

**Amber Hermione:** I don't know what they Tonks, Lupin and Ginny were discussing; that's between them but you are probably onto something...

**rembrandt: **Ah yes, Lucius. I am under the impression that he is still in Azkaban because seeing as it was no longer controlled by Dementors, I really thought that the governing wizards would ensure that no more Death Eaters would escape from there. Hence why Lucius as a person is only mentioned as a past figure, not someone around now. I know Draco seems close to his father in HBP, but I couldn't see him being like that in the previous books, which was when I first started writing this. As for the football/soccer, that's funny cos so many people have said how people change when watching a particular sport. What is it about it that has so many people going off their collective faces? It's funny tho.

**CCoLoMBiAnMaMi11:** Yeah it was just that I couldn't remember it being anywhere in the books and funnily enough, I still can't remember it anywhere in the books, even though I only read them all again not long ago. Ah well, hope you've got up to this point...

To everyone else who reviewed, I'm sorry that I couldn't respond to your msg's but hopefully it doesn't deter you from reviewing again; I like receiving them and it's interesting to read people's ideas about things. Thanks again and onto chapter 25...

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**Chapter 25: Backyard Football**

Upon returning to the Grangers', Draco could think of nothing that he really wanted to do, except something that would keep his mind away from the meeting. Even though it didn't go as badly as it could have, he really didn't want to think about anything that had happened, given that he was going to have to go back there on Tuesday to sort out more stuff about it.

Hermione also appeared unsure on what to do. Truthfully speaking, Draco didn't really want to spend the rest of the day with her, simply because he didn't really want to be in a situation where the subject of the meeting could be brought up. Instead, he smiled sympathetically to her and went to find Robert in the lounge-room. Hermione appeared to have understood, making him eternally grateful, because she did not chase after him to ask what he felt about the meeting.

_Hmm, maybe it is a good thing she's friends with Scar Head and Weasel. No, don't think that._

Robert was reading the newspaper when Draco found him. Upon hearing his arrival, Robert looked up at him, obviously surprised to see him back so early.

Before he could ask anything about the meeting, Draco cut him off and said, "I thought maybe we might have some time to play some football outside, seeing as it's still quite light."

Robert smiled at him, although to Draco it appeared that he was quite overjoyed at hearing this. He didn't say anything else except a small, "Of course."

He put down the newspaper on the small table beside the couch and slowly got up.

"Well then, I can show you a few things although it might be best to simply start with the real basics. Just let me get my ball and," he said, looking down at Draco's shoes and seeing the All-Stars on his feet, added, "you might want to change your shoes, only because those might be a bit good to wear. Are they All-Stars?"

Draco looked down at his shoes. "Yes, I believe so."

"My God," Robert exclaimed quietly. "They've been around for a good while now. I remember having a pair when I was about your age. They're comfortable though, aren't they?"

Draco couldn't help grinning at this. He knew that they were probably the most comfortable pair of everyday shoes he had ever worn, with the exception of trainers of course, but he wasn't going to admit that straight off.

"They're not bad."

Robert, thankfully, only smiled back in return and said nothing furthermore on the topic.

"Do you have any trainers with you?"

"Somewhere in my trunk. I'll just go get them."

"Good idea. I'll get a ball and my own football boots. See you down here in about two minutes? We'll play out the back."

"Okay."

Draco exited the room when his eye caught something. There was a sleeping bag folded up in its cover tossed to the side of the room, obviously having been used the night before. Wondering why as he continued up the stairs, it suddenly occurred to him that Jane was true to her word and that Robert certainly had slept on the couch that night. Grinning to himself but remembering that Robert hadn't mentioned Hermione to him, he resolved to let the matter go and instead concentrate on what the man in question was about to teach him.

Upon reaching his room, he tore off his All-Stars to put on his own runners but then remembered the Grangers' house rule about shoes on inside.

_Woops, I better take them off again, even though it looks like they've let me wear them around inside before._

Running back down the stairs, he found Robert playing with the ball, bouncing off his head, knees and feet, behind him and in front of him, clearly not aware that Draco had just re-entered the room. Draco watched in amazement; Robert looked just like the players he had seen on the television screen.

It was only when Robert lost control of the ball, almost sending it into a vase in the corner of the room that he realised Draco was there and so too it seemed, was Jane.

"Christ, Robert!" she exclaimed, one hand on her hip. "Please don't do that in here! Remember that wooden giraffe your sister sent home from Africa that got broken a couple of years back? I don't want to have to explain to her that another gift of hers was broken again due to a lack of common sense inside!" and she went back into the kitchen.

"And what she doesn't know," Robert said quietly to Draco when she left, "was that whilst Jenny, my sister that is, was clearly annoyed, she really didn't get as agitated as Jane did. That's the thing about growing up with a sportsman, things will get broken and you live with it."

Draco wasn't really sure what to say to this, so decided on saying nothing. It was clear that Robert was in his prime at that moment; living, talking and playing football. Draco knew exactly what he was talking about; that was how he felt about Quidditch.

He quietly followed Robert outside, put his shoes on unbeknownst to Robert (who was still playing with the football the whole way along the back footpath) until they found a largish patch of grass that had obviously seen better times. It was not the typical green of the rest of the lawn but instead, a murky brown colour (as most of it was dead), and there was a goal up one end of it.

"This," Robert said, indicating the area, "is my haven away from everything. The place I go to really think things over. But enough about that; we're here to teach you a few of the basics of football.

"Firstly, you stand over near the goal post and I'll stand up this end. It might seem boring at first but I thought that it might be best to start from scratch to familiarise yourself with the ball as well as the concept of not using your hands. That can get a few people at first."

Draco did as he was told and stood near the goal post. As soon as he got there, Robert passed the ball quickly at him, causing Draco to almost miss it altogether. He managed to control it by blocking it with his toes, but still had to chase it a bit.

"Er, sorry Draco, maybe that was a bit hard. Ah well, pass it back and we'll have another go."

Draco kicked the ball back with his toes, causing his whole foot to almost seize up. It also caused the ball to sail over Robert's head and into a garden bed behind him. He didn't let his frustration show, but being shown as not knowing anything about something to someone who knew everything about it was almost as annoying as his first day in the Muggle World.

"Ah yes, forgot to mention, kick the ball with the side of your foot, not the toes. Whilst you can with your toes, your foot will become extraordinarily sore after only a few minutes." Something must have shown on Draco's face because Robert quickly added, "It's okay Draco. The first time I kicked a football, I managed to break my mother's best china jug. Needless to say I didn't practice inside for a long time after that."

Draco couldn't help but smile. He could see that Robert was trying to make things easier for him, but it was hard when he couldn't do it as easy.

_That's stupid,_ he thought, _this man even said that he could have played in the Premier League except for an injury. You've had one minute to practice, he would have had years._

Robert continued. "Have a look here. Place the ball a metre or so in front of you and step back. Now, take two steps up to the ball, so your preferred foot is the one striking the ball of course, so it might be three steps instead. By this stage your other foot should be about level with the ball but still pointing forwards. With your preferred foot, kick the ball with the inside of your foot and follow through. Like this," and he demonstrated with a pass that went directly and this time more slowly at Draco. This time, Draco had not as much trouble stopping it as he did previously.

"Hold up a sec," Robert quickly muttered, "don't kick it back to me for a second but just show me what to do first. I'll show you a way to stop the ball for next time."

Draco was a bit confused for a moment but went through the motions for passing the ball.

"So you place the ball about a metre in front," doing so as he said it, "then step back a bit. Taking two or three steps up to the ball, depending," he had a couple of goes at this to get his footing right, "so that the other foot is about level with the ball but facing forwards, strike the ball with the inside flat of my foot." He practiced doing this. "Is that it?"

Robert smiled. "That's it and by the looks of things, you seem a natural. The motion of your body as you went up to the ball seemed to flow. That just reinforces my beliefs that you are an exceptional Quidditch player."

Draco could feel himself going pink. At Hogwarts he usually boasted about how well he caught the Snitch in front of the Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff Seekers, however he had only ever caught the Snitch before Potter on one occasion. Admittedly, he made sure everyone knew about it that time but when it all came down to it, he really only did it to make sure that they knew he was good. Somehow, being told he was good, a natural even, made him not really want to abuse that but merely acknowledge it.

"I guess so."

"Well, I think that with a bit of practice, you'll definitely get much better at football. Anyway, I said I'd show you how to stop the ball."

Robert demonstrated this as he spoke. "You can stop it with the inside of your foot again but if you don't give a bit with your foot, the ball will simply rebound back against your foot, due to the rigidness of your foot. You need to cushion the impact. You're clever, Draco; although I don't think that Hogwarts offers Physics as a discipline, unfortunately. A handy thing, if I say so myself. Are you familiar with Newton's Laws of Motion at all?"

Draco had no idea what Robert was talking about and thought that it was better to swallow the Snitch than pretend. "No I don't."

"Ah see if you were, you would know exactly what it is that I'm about to tell you. Never mind; I'll give you a demonstration. Pick the ball up and throw it directly above you. When you catch it, catch it at the same spot as you have your hands now, that is, if you keep your hands at chest height, catch it in your hands at the same height."

He did this and felt the impact of the ball in his hands as he did so.

"Now," Robert instructed, "do the same thing but as you catch it, bring your hands down to about waist height."

Draco again followed the instruction and realised that when he caught the ball and effectively followed through, the impact on his hands was much less.

"Did you notice a difference?"

"Yeah, the ball didn't hit my hands as hard."

"That's what I want to hear. Same as if you caught the ball firstly at chest height but then brought your hands right down to the height of your ankles, you would barely even register the weight of the ball. Explaining this, you need an understanding of Newton's Laws of Motion. The first law is, 'A body will move in a straight line at a constant velocity through space unless there is an outside force acting upon it'. The third law is 'For every reaction force there is an equal and opposite reaction force'. The second law is a formula but still has significance in this case.

"In reference to the first law, the ball will continue in a straight line directly to you until your foot, the outside force, stops it. Although in this case, the outside force is actually the grass as well as your foot. The grass causes friction and will eventually stop the ball if your foot doesn't. Anyway, relaying it to the Third Law, as you stop the ball with your foot, or with your hand, you'll feel pressure build up against it. Well, the ball will exude an equal force against your foot or hand at not wanting to be caught. The force will be equal to that of your foot.

"The force itself is explained using Newton's Second Law of Motion. In other words, the total force applied on your foot is equal to the mass of the ball multiplied by the acceleration at which the ball is travelling. By softening the blow that the ball makes against your foot, it applies another force of deceleration on the ball. This deceleration increases the time in which the ball will eventually stop, which means that the ball is not travelling as quickly, hence reducing the force at which the ball hits your foot."

This utterly confused Draco. He had no idea that physics played such a big part of sport. He had only ever encountered simple physics before entering Hogwarts and quite probably wouldn't have minded studying it more but given he was entering Hogwarts, he saw no reason to. It seemed that the time had come where basic knowledge in it was needed, much to his surprise.

"I know," Robert sympathised. "It does seem confusing, doesn't it?" Draco nodded his head. "Not to worry; to put it bluntly, when you cushion the blow, it softens the impact at which it hits your foot and it's easier to control. Besides, it's better explained in practice, as with most things. Can you remember that as well as the way to pass the ball?"

"Yes."

"Great. Okay, pass the ball back to me just as you demonstrated before."

Draco placed the ball back in front of him and took a few steps back. As his foot struck the ball to pass it to Robert, he knew he made a good connection with it as it was delivered quickly and directly.

"Very good Draco!" Robert said in praise. "I noticed you also followed through with your kicking foot as well. That's the most important thing. If you don't follow through, the ball loses momentum and doesn't go as far, or as accurately. Right, now relaying that into Newton's First Law, the grass had slowed the ball down even a little, although over this distance it wouldn't be so obvious. But when the ball hit my foot, you heard the slap against it, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"That is the sound of the force of the ball hitting my foot. Okay, I'll pass it back to you. So, putting his Laws into practice, just do as you did before with your hands, when you caught the ball but gave a little bit but with your feet this time instead and I think you'll be right."

Robert passed the ball back to Draco and this time, when Draco stopped the ball, he brought his foot back a bit to cushion the impact, making the ball not rebound as far as before.

"That's it!" Robert smiled. "Ah, the joys of physics. Who would have thought that it would play such a big part in sport? It would for Quidditch too, you do realise."

Draco couldn't help but look back in slight shock. "Yeah, I never thought of it like this."

"It's a fascinating thing. It happens everywhere but people are just oblivious to it." Robert picked the ball up in his hands and started to play with it, just like he had in the loungeroom. Draco was once again looking upon this sight in awe, despite himself.

Robert continued. "But I digress; we're here to play football, not talk about physics. I'll make things a bit more interesting then. Oh and another thing. If you can, try trapping the ball with your foot instead of stopping it with the inside of your foot. That's another way of stopping the ball. Just make sure you keep an eye on it at all times and don't lose your focus."

Soon enough, Robert had Draco passing and receiving the ball as well as doing simple drills of running up and down the patch of grass with the ball in front of him. It was hard work; much harder than most of the Quidditch training sessions but that was probably due to the fact that Quidditch was all flying and no running. Either way, by the end of the afternoon, he had worked up quite a sweat but immensely pleased with himself with what he had achieved that afternoon. After the drills, Robert had him passing and trapping with his other side as well as his preferred side.

"Well, I think that that's enough for today," Robert announced after consulting his watch. "You've done well for yourself, Draco. Maybe we can go out another time shortly, would you want to do that?"

Draco looked at him in interest. It was obvious that Robert enjoyed getting out there and playing football again; even moreso for the fact that there was someone there to enjoy it with him. Needless to say, Draco himself relished the chance to get out and play, even if it wasn't Quidditch. It was a different way to bring forth a sweat; that was for sure and it was a completely new sport at the same time. He could tell that with a bit of time, he would enjoy more of these sessions with Robert.

"I'd like that a lot," he finally answered, smiling.

"Maybe during the week we can do something. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do anything tomorrow; I've a funny feeling I'm going to be paying for it dearly. I haven't been out there for that length of time since I was younger."

Draco grinned. "I know what you mean. That happens to me for the first few practice sessions during the year. After a bit though, I feel okay."

"Yes, the dreaded muscle stiffness. Unfortunately there isn't a great deal that can be done about it." By this stage, they were walking back to the back verandah. "Hmm," Robert said after observing their footwear, "I think we had definitely better leave our shoes outside. Jane won't be too happy if mud gets on the carpet."

Draco looked at his own shoes. They certainly had the appearance that he had been flying out in the rain all day. "Okay then."

Upon returning inside, it was almost time for dinner and Jane was in the kitchen, overlooking a rather large pot. Hermione was standing at the bench, chopping up carrots.

"Draco," Jane said as she continued to stir the contents in the pot, "come over here and try this. I wondered whether you had eaten something like this before."

He looked at her in mild curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"It's something that I'm not sure if you would have had before. Kangaroo stew."

_Kangaroo stew?_

He wrinkled up his nose in distaste. "Kangaroos? But aren't they Australian?"

"Which is precisely why I didn't think you would have had it before. Do try some, I'm sure you won't mind it."

Draco walked cautiously over to her where she held out a small spoon with some sauce and meat on it. Looking at it again in wonder, he slowly took the pre-offered spoon.

"Be careful, it's hot," Jane warned.

He raised the spoon to his lips and blew on it gently to cool it off. Again, looking at it in curiosity, he quickly shoved the spoon into his mouth as if to get the worst of it out of the way. However, he was shocked to find that the kangaroo not only tasted good, but that he wanted more.

Something must have registered on his face because Jane smiled and said, "Good?"

Draco merely nodded, still thinking about the taste of the kangaroo. It was kind of like a nice piece of steak, only it wasn't quite the same taste. Either way, she was right; it was something he had never had before and furthermore, was also correct in that he didn't mind it.

He noticed that Hermione was looking at him only after he finished the mouthful. She smiled at him and kept chopping up the carrots, leaving Draco with a curious feeling in his chest.

It wasn't long when dinner was finally served. The stew and salad certainly proved to be very good in a large quantity because Draco managed to eat close on two platefuls of the stuff, not leaving much room for the butterscotch pudding that was to follow.

This was duly noticed by Hermione, who only looked at Draco in amusement and muttered quietly, "Anyone would think that we don't feed you around here."

"Yes, well, when there's something I like," he said to her slyly and raising one eyebrow, "I don't mind getting it in big servings, even if that means acquiring more than I perhaps really need. You really ought to try it sometime."

She looked at him with mouth agape but shut it quickly again. Draco grinned at her, knowing that he had touched on something with the subtle but definite reaction that she gave him. He said nothing further on the subject but kept eating his pudding.

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**Comments:**

I know I said that Draco bought One-Stars but I meant All-Stars. You know the ones, the high top basketball shoes. They are cool! Well, both are but All-Stars are what I meant in this context.

Kangaroo stew. It's quite nice if the kangaroo is cooked properly (tender enough to chew but cooked enough that it doesn't taste raw). I think a few places sell kangaroo overseas; not quite sure but I thought that the Grangers would probably try a few interesting and exotic dishes.

Really must head off and do nothing... have been finding myself doing nothing lately, not good. Anyway, adios all and hopefully when I update next I might have actually added a great deal more to the story.


	26. Videos

Hey all! I can't believe that I'm actually going to upload a chapter so to all of those who have been waiting, I'm so sorry! Seriously, I've only just managed to get things sorted out at home in terms of computer and stuff (or in the last couple of weeks) but thought that it would be best to try to get a bit more written. Which it is...

So, without further ado...

**Comments: (these are gonna be a bit short cos am at work and should be doing work!)**

Mirei Nochi: Jon Stewart, now there's something you don't hear every day. ALthough he was the one in Big Daddy with Adam Sandler, yeah? ANd Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back? Yep, Draco is still sly!

Darkwing731: I hope it sounds alright cos it might be a bit sooner (them hooking up) than you think... ;-)

Ketta dragontamer: Haha, eating kangaroos is not as uncommon as you might think...

Ellie: I think that Draco would be suited to a few sports, hence why I thought that he should try football.soccer out for size.

snoopy: Yeah, physics was okay at my school but not all the time. This chapter does include a lot of H/D interaction.

anna: Bloody hell! You did alright! Well it's all good hearing that, at least it means it was interesting! THanks again!

kamikazepanda: Lol, ah well, I'm not a vegetarian and so I generally eat a lot of things.

harryluvzginny: The subtle comment at the end had sexual connatations attached to it cos Draco was feeling a bit sly... He knew that he could get a reaction but still isn't banking on the fact that Hermione does actually like him.

Missi-Mooloo: God, another that read it in one go, I;m loving it!

angie: WHat I had planned isn't quite how it happens but I hope it still works!

Elena Bauder: Awesome! That's so cool to know! Well, I hope that when they do get together, it isn't too quickly.

frostlily: I'm still wondering whether to make Draco a Seer, that's for further analysis. But they are still on the same day as the meeting.

JayJay216: Hmm, marching band? Well, I can't say that we ever had that at my high school but we did have band and stuff. I completely agree about the whole Draco thing. Why isn't there a real bloke like him? Okay he was an arsehole to begin with but he was still really cute! Re: Dumbledore, hmm, you have a point there.Anyway, hope you enjoy the next chapter. Oh yeah, just got up to your review of Chapter 24, nice!

dotty: Haha, yeah I know, hope it's soon enough.

KellyRiddle88: I'm sorry for the lack of French here. That's so awful about your grandmother. I sincerely hope that everything's alright now or on its way to becoming alright. And you can use me in your story, I don't mind.

Kail Ceannai: Soccer if you're American although I have said this a few times somewhere. Fair enough on the details, I guess there probably was.

Spooky2: Hmm, I agree about HBP, it did suck.

To everyone else, thank you for all your reviews! Onto chapter 26...

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**Chapter 26: Videos**

Afterwards, both teenagers cleaned up the kitchen as was Hermione's job and Draco's sense of duty to help her.

"Really Draco," she said, "I appreciate this. It does make it a lot easier."

"It's alright, honestly."

"So what did you want to do this evening anyway?"

"I don't know. Did you have something in mind?"

"I was thinking of grabbing a couple of videos. I don't know about you but I just feel like a lazy one in."

"Videos?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "What are they?"

Hermione smacked her forehead and muttered, "God, I forgot what you know and don't know. Well, videos are just like watching the telly, because that is precisely what it is shown on except that they are movies instead of television shows. I was going to get a couple, maybe an action flick, one you might enjoy but I was also wanting something easy to watch, a chick flick maybe?" she looked at him with a mischievous grin on her face.

"What's that look?" he asked her. "It can only mean something ordinary. So, what is it?"

"Chick flicks are usually romantic comedies, something that a group of female friends will usually watch. Mum and I usually sit up and watch a couple sometimes, I haven't yet been able to show them to Ginny but she would be the same, despite being considerably sporty."

"Hmm, alright then. So when can we watch them?"

"We have to go to the video store first. Mum says she'll drive us there after this if you want."

"That's okay. We've almost finished anyway."

They soon finished clearing up everything and moved into the lounge where Jane and Robert were sitting; Robert reading the newspaper and Jane watching the variety show that was on the telly.

"Mum," Hermione said unapprovingly, "I thought you said you didn't like this show."

"I know," Jane said in resignation. "There doesn't seem to be much else on. So are you two alright to go?"

"Yes."

"Right then." She stood up from the couch and bent down to kiss Robert on the cheek. "We'll be back soon."

"Alright," he responded quietly. "See you later."

Draco wasn't really sure what to expect but was looking forward to getting out of the house again for something completely unrelated to his expedition to Order Headquarters.

Hermione let him have the front seat again but he found that it wasn't really necessary. He had gotten used to riding in the car and it didn't seem long before they were outside the video store.

"Right," Jane said she pulled into a car park. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Nothing really, just something easy to watch," Hermione answered.

"Well, I think I might just wait in here. I don't really have a desire to get anything for myself."

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Sure. I brought my book with me."

"Okay Mum. Shan't be too long hopefully."

They exited the car and wandered into the shop. Draco couldn't believe his eyes. There were rows upon rows of these so-called videos located under many titles such as drama, foreign, action, comedy and kids. There was a small section that was labelled "DVD Rentals" and featured much the same movies as what the rest of the store contained.

"DVD's?" He wondered out aloud.

"Yes," Hermione turned to him. "They are better than videos except that the DVD players are incredibly expensive. Dad says he won't get one until the price goes down. When I mean expensive, they really are quite expensive. The thing is, it's the latest in video image technology and anything like that is bound to be pricy. Give it a couple of years and the price will drop. Besides, when we already have a video player and a CD player, we don't really need the DVD player."

Draco looked at her, torn between his disbelief that her father would wait until something reduced in price, given his wealth, and the fact that she knew so much about anything. "Oh."

"Anyway, I think there are some decent movies that have just come out of the cinemas. This is the 'New Releases' section. I don't know exactly what you'd like but I had a couple of movies in mind. Or if you prefer, the action section is just over there." She pointed at the area that was marked 'Action'.

"Do you already know what you're getting yourself?" Draco asked her.

"Once again, I've got a couple of movies in mind."

"Okay."

He left her to check out the 'New Releases' as he wandered across to the 'Action' section and started searching aimlessly through the titles.

_Rambo… yeah I wouldn't be having a go at him either. Die Hard… geez, these titles are quite full-on. Jackie Brown… that sounds a little less confronting_.

However, not knowing anything about everything to do with the films, Draco gave up and decided to see what Hermione was up to. From the way her arm was crooked, it looked as if she had already chosen but was still looking in case something else jumped out.

"So what were you getting then?"

"Oh, er," Hermione looked slightly abashed. "I was thinking of this one. I've heard that it's good."

The movie in her hands was 'Romeo + Juliet'. Draco knew vaguely of a story that was called that; he thought that it was perhaps a Muggle story that had been told years ago and asked Hermione this.

"Oh not quite. 'Romeo and Juliet' is a very famous play by William Shakespeare. You know the play I lent you, 'Twelfth Night'? Well, this is by the same person. This film is a modern remake of it. Although I think it's meant to be quite serious. I was hoping for a comedy, actually."

Draco looked at her as she studied the front of the video cover. Her cheeks had flushed pink and for a moment he couldn't quite take his eyes off her. He was once again facing the same moment that he had faced in her room that dreadful day.

_No, I'm not putting myself in that position again. If she wanted to, she wouldn't have refused._

"So," her voice broke his thoughts. "Have you come across anything that looks remotely interesting?"

"Er, not really. I honestly don't have any idea on what to go for because quite frankly, I've never even heard of these stories or plays or whatever so I don't know what they even entail."

"Of course. Maybe we can have a look together. I mean, we don't need to get an action one. I just thought that you might enjoy one."

"Yeah maybe."

They scanned a couple of the shelves for a minute or two, Hermione picking up a few of the covers to read the blurb. Suddenly, she made a swift move towards one of the shelves further up.

"What did you spot?" he asked.

"'One Fine Day'," she said rather sheepishly. "It has two actors who I quite like."

Draco looked over her shoulder at the cover. There was an attractive woman (although quite possibly out of Draco's age bracket) and an older man on the front, both wearing everyday Muggle wear.

"Mum told me about it in one of her letters."

"She's alright. Who's she?"

"This here is Michelle Pfeiffer, who has been in quite a few movies. She's fantastic and her characters are always so deep."

Draco fought an urge to gag, feeling that this extraordinarily soft Hermione was not the real one but soon got over that feeling after the realisation that he was seeing a side to her that he had previously not seen.

"By 'deep', you mean -"

"Every character she plays is believable. I mean, we all know that it's just a movie but she plays them so well that you can't help but get emotionally involved as well."

Draco knew what being 'emotionally involved' meant and didn't really wish to keep the topic going.

"And the bloke?"

Hermione involuntarily grinned and her eyes suddenly flashed with something that Draco was sure was excitement. "That," she said, still grinning, "is George Clooney."

Draco looked again at said bloke. From what he could see, there really wasn't much to look at. Besides which, he looked about fifty.

"He's a bit old for you, isn't he?" he asked bluntly.

Hermione's grin faltered only slightly. "He's 36 actually. But seriously, he is very charismatic. If you were female, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I know what 'charismatic' means."

"I don't mean the actual meaning of the word. I mean with regards to George Clooney."

Draco knew he was fighting a losing battle with Hermione in regards to the whole 'male attraction' thing and actually found it quite insulting that she favoured someone like this George Clooney as opposed to him. Unless he was very much mistaken, he found that he was quite jealous of someone whom he didn't even know and who was old enough to be his father. In fact, someone who was only a few years younger than his father.

"Maybe."

Hermione looked at him in mild curiosity. "What's with this, 'maybe'? Draco, you can't honestly think that in real life I would go for someone like him? As you said, he's too old for me. Besides that, he also happens to be American and a movie star."

She smiled and shook her head. Draco found himself going bright red at the same time and pretended that he found one of the films on the shelf really interesting.

He was completely unaware that Hermione was studying the exact same movie and it was only when she started to laugh that he realised she was there.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

She was almost doubled over with mirth. "The movie you're looking at is 'Spy Hard'. If you've actually seen the film, you wouldn't be staring at it quite so intently."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's what they call a 'spoof' film. The title is a complete rip off of Die Hard and the film's not half as good either. Not that I go out of my way to watch films like Die Hard but I don't mind it." Here, Hermione once again flushed slightly, prompting Draco to think more about the film.

The title was vaguely familiar to him yet he couldn't understand why. Then he remembered that he had passed the film beforehand whilst searching in the 'Action' section. This only caused him to smirk in return, causing Hermione to lose the flush and stare at him.

"What's the smirk for?"

"Oh I've just realised something." His smirked became more pronounced.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What have you just realised?"

"Wait a second, I'll be back shortly."

"What could you possibly have to check out in a shop that you've never once set foot in?"

"You'll see."

He ducked back across at the 'Action' section and found the movie lurking where it had been previously. The front cover was of a man in a dirty singlet, holding some kind of weapon that Draco was not sure of what it was. However, that didn't matter; his thoughts were confirmed by the pose that the bloke was doing and only guessed, after remembering the intensely male band Rammstein and the poses that they had in the CD cover, as to why Hermione liked the film.

He wandered back across at her, victorious grin playing on his face. Hermione looked back at him in frustration.

"So Draco Malfoy, what is it that you have discovered? That grin gives so much away."

"Well Hermione Granger," he said, playing along with her mood, "I have just discovered why you would possibly like a film such as 'Die Hard' and furthermore, I have decided that that is the film that I want to watch this evening."

"And why would I like a film like that?" Again, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh it wouldn't have anything to do with the male lead now, would it? A man who has obviously been working out, has been doing something excruciatingly male and screams testosterone? That film?"

At this, Hermione turned a violent shade of scarlet. "So what if it does?"

"It's just given me reason to watch it, that's all."

"It's a few years old; I don't know if you'll want to watch it."

"Oh, but I do!" He couldn't help being such a bastard to her simply because he was really loving the reaction that he was getting. "Besides, wasn't it you who said that I'd probably like action? I believe you are now eating your own words!"

Hermione glared at him but said, "Fine! I'll sit through 'Die Hard' if you sit through 'One Fine Day'."

At this, Draco's smirk faltered.

"Ha!" she grinned, now the victor. "Two can play at that, Draco!"

"Fine, I'll watch it with you. But you had better stay around to watch 'Die Hard'; otherwise it won't be worth watching."

"You'll like it regardless, I won't doubt. Dad likes it, even though he doesn't say much about it but I know he does."

As they both walked up to the counter, Hermione doubled back to see something that Draco was not sure of what. Walking back towards her, he noticed that she had picked up another video, one that was a bright shade of yellow with red writing, from what he could see.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Did you want only two or do you think you can watch three films?"

"Why? What's that one?"

"'The Full Monty.'"

_Come again?_

"The 'Full' what?"

"'The Full Monty'. It's British and it's one that I think we'll both enjoy, so there shouldn't be a need for snide remarks or anything." She flashed a grin at him, causing him to smile in return.

"Do you know what it's about?"

"A group of unemployed males who decide to strip to earn some quick money."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Now that is something I don't really wish to watch, thanks."

Hermione didn't look like she was going to give up. "It's not like that, really. It tells the story of why they do it and all of the things that happen between them as they try to do it. Look, we don't have to watch it tonight but I wouldn't mind watching it at some point. Besides, it's cheaper to get a few as opposed to just one or two."

"How does that work?"

"They reduce the price with the more videos you decide to hire."

"Ah right," he raised his eyebrows in realisation. "So it's clever marketing to get you to spend more."

Hermione looked slightly abashed. "Well, yes but sometimes one video isn't enough."

Draco couldn't help but laugh at her dismal attempt at trying to justify the approach of the video store. Yet somehow he didn't really feel the need to dismiss her obvious enthusiasm for a movie that he would otherwise not care in the slightest if he didn't watch but one that also seemed to depict a group of unemployed men in a way that to his wealthy nature, he couldn't help but find amusing, as awful as he knew that Hermione would take that.

"Get it if you want then. I don't know if I will watch it with you though."

"Why don't you just give it a go? You don't have to like it but at least sit and watch it. It's been given really good reviews according to the London Star and Sit Up Britain."

"Alright, I'll think about it. So is that it then?"

"Yes, I think that will be plenty for this evening. If we don't get to watch them all, yes including 'Die Hard', we can watch them tomorrow. Have another lazy one."

"Good."

They walked up to the counter and paid for the videos. When they exited the store, Draco noticed that it had become quite chilly whilst they were inside. Hermione, it seemed, had noticed the same thing.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. We should just get straight into the car, though."

Draco let her lead him to the car, where this time he instructed that she sit in the front seat instead. She only looked at him for confirmation but took him up on the offer.

"So kids," Jane said, "what did you get?"

"'One Fine Day', 'Die Hard' and 'The Full Monty'," Hermione told her.

"'Die Hard'? Haven't you already seen that?"

"Yes but Draco hasn't." She hesitated for a moment, causing Draco to look at her in wonder. She returned his stare and gave him a small grin. "It seems he took a liking to it."

Jane sighed. "Yes, I guess it does have that attraction to it for some reason. Anyhow, we'll go home."

The trip back home wasn't quite as bad as Draco had thought it might be, given that he was in the back seat. He thought that it would have been fair to Hermione that she had the front seat, considering that she had given it up for him the last two times. Not only that, it gave him a chance to sit and unwind and soon he found himself thinking about everything that had happened that day. It seemed like an eternity that he was telling everyone about the attack on the Ministry official. Not that it bothered him in any way whatsoever. In fact, it was a comfort to know that he wasn't so worried about it now that everyone knew it was going to happen. He thought about Snape's words as well; that was something that he wasn't quite prepared for however, it was not bad to hear. Snape actually seemed like he wanted to make up for things that he had done in the past; something that Draco knew that he wouldn't admit to many people, as he had asked Draco not to divulge.

Then Draco had played football with Robert outside and learnt quite a few football skills. This made him think about improving these skills throughout the week. Now, he was going to watch Muggle movies with Hermione. He grinned to himself at the thought of watching her reactions to 'Die Hard' as the car pulled into the driveway.


	27. First Date?

Hey all! I'm updating again, a bit late I know. Haven't had a chance to really since I last did, simply cos I updated that at work and it was real hard to get to the computer for any great length of time. God, watching the Downhill Skiing. Geez they go quick!

Anyway, onto **comments**:

Darkwing731: Lol, I love movie nights!

HikoMokushi: Awesome! I like your comments, anything like that goes down well in my books... ;-) Hope this chapter appeals!

Airlady: Hell yeah, forgot all about them but something else to think about... Gotta love a bit of Bruce in Die Hard. I can't remember how old he was in it.. hold up, I'll have a look... he was 33. Wow, I guess he has that same appeal as George Clooney (well I like George Clooney if you didn't already guess) but any bloke who can look good in a filthy singlet has gotta be good!

Ketta dragontamer: If you get a chance, watch it for the one-liners and the appeal of Bruce in a singlet. Seriously, he's alright. And it has Snape in it - Alan Rickman plays Heinz Gruber, the main baddie in it. He looks nothing like Snape but ah well.

Christina W: Haha! Well, here it is so you don't have to check back three times a day! It might be a few days before I update next just to let you know...

lostindreams1001: Us George Clooney fans have gotta stick together... haha! Not really, but I know a few who can't see the big deal with him, I say "What? He screams charisma and so much sex appeal!

sugar n spice 522: Wow, I think you've reviewed just about every chapter I've written. That's so cool. Thanks for that!

starzstruck-1: Sweet, well, I'll let you read on to see what happens. Hope you enjoy it!

Sheryvia: Haha, I won't hold it against you, tis all cool! I agree, they should just settle down and get married - they're so good together! Loving the comments!

dotty: I could never leave poor Draco! I don't think anyone could, especially now after HBP! My flatmate read it before me and when I asked about what sort of a part Draco played in it, she just looked at me and went, "God, you have to read the book!" Sincerely hope you were joking about the last part! ;-)

chica91: Ah yes, well, the meeting is in a couple of days and so they will speak then, but in the future she might hear from Ginny, Harry or Ron a bit more... haven't thought that far ahead truthfully... Hoping the movie watching sounds alright.

JayJay216: Yep, seen both of them. Ithink One Fine Day is a really sweet little piece and Die Hard is well, Die Hard. You can't not like that film cos Bruce is just awesome in it. Hope I've done them justice... I mean One Fine Day is a real chick flick but you've gotta watch them, really...

DragonOfWinter: haha, I think Michelle Pfeiffer is a great actress and the fact that both she and George Clooney are in this, well, it's just brilliant. Perhaps if you trace the family tree back far enough you might find a relation... ;-)

KellyRiddle88: Sweet! Glad you're stillenjoying it- my French is going, can you tell? Lol, wait till I go over there again, it'll come back I'm sure... ;-) I can still understand it tho, so feel free to speak French again, it's just I might have to reply in English.

modelicous: That's a real shame. It's the extremists that make everyone else have a bad name. Glad you like the story...

harryluvzginny: Haha, yeah it was subtle but a definite double meaning there... ;-) Hope you enjoy this chapter...

freekazoid101: It's funny you say that cos the first time I had heard of Hermione/Snape pairings I was like "what the fuck?" ('scuse the language... ;-) ) but I found that some stories were so believable that I found I couldn't not read them. I used to read them on par with D/Hr stories but nowadays I'm just reading the D/Hr stories that I caught onto a while back. Oh yeah, I think we've all asked that question at one point!

To everyone else who reviewed, thanks for your comments and I hope that you all enjoy the next chapter. Adios my fellow forty short!  
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**Chapter 27: First Date?**

Once again, Hermione found herself completely at a loss to realise the position that she was in. Here she was, sitting on the couch located next to the one Draco Malfoy, preparing to watch videos with him. Regardless of the fact that he was showing more and more signs of interest in all things Muggle, especially a keen interest in football with her father, it was something that she concluded was going to take a considerably long time to get used to. However, he was becoming more and more of a fixture in the Granger house.

She had been mulling over the entire day while Draco was out playing football with Robert. She was so happy for her father that he finally had someone to share his interest in sport. Even though it was football, she thought that Draco would find it interesting, even if it wasn't Quidditch. She was even prouder of the fact that her thoughts were confirmed by Draco himself, when he went into the lounge and asked Robert to show and teach him football skills. That was the real reason as to why she didn't complain or get annoyed when he chose to leave her upon their return to the house. It had also given her a chance to spend some quality time with her mother, something Jane had been quite happy to oblige with.

When Draco and Robert had returned to the house after a clearly rigorous training session, Hermione couldn't help but smile at the look on Draco's face. His face contained the most colour that she had seen for a long while and the small grin on his face had even spread to his eyes, something that didn't happen with him that often. She had seen him look at her as he wandered across the room to try out the kangaroo stew, and wondered what he was thinking. She stood and admired the way his face contorted into one of intense concentration as he weighed up the taste of the new meat in his mouth, and smiled inwardly at his positive reaction afterwards.

They hadn't really spoken much throughout the meal but this was only due to the fact that both Draco and Robert had devoured quite a lot of the stew themselves, whereas Hermione and her mother only needed a plateful each. She kept looking at him every now and then whilst he ate; again thinking about the way that he had confronted everyone at the meeting that very morning. That is, everyone who had previously scorned upon the name of Malfoy in the past, all because of his ancestry. It only proved the theory that nothing is ever solely evil or good, that there is a little bit of both in everything. However, sometimes she did wonder that with some of the atrocities that she had heard of happening in the world. But perhaps it was more in a general sense because there were of course, exceptions. Either way, it could be applied to the houses of Slytherin and Gryffindor. Slytherin, which was reknowned for churning out evil wizards, provided two wizards who had gone against all of their prior beliefs and the beliefs of all the others like them, to fight for the side of good, whereas Gryffindor, which was normally known to be always on the side of good, turned out Wormtail – someone who betrayed everyone for a long time and who lied to those who had been loyal to him.

Malfoy was one of those who had gone against all the other Slytherin beliefs and turned to the side of good. Hermione wondered what his father would possibly say to that, although she could guess quite easily what it might have been. His mother, she was now sure, would have a different opinion. She was the one who had asked Dumbledore to take good care of Draco after it became known that Voldemort wanted to attain him.

Hermione had been in the middle of these thoughts when he had looked up at her. She remembered the look distinctly – he had a hungry look in his eyes; not surprising really since he had eaten so much, but there was something else. She had wondered what he was thinking because it hadn't looked like he was only thinking of the meal. He had done quite well to hide the feeling because there was only a glimpse of it when he looked at her. It had occurred to her that the look in his eyes was directed at her, although she really couldn't say that it could be, after the way that she had dismissed him that other day. Then he had grinned and gone back to his meal.

That was the point when she had said about people thinking that he wasn't getting fed properly. It was only meant to be an offhand remark; something to carry the feeling of well-being between the two of them and to show that she really didn't care that he hadn't spent time with her that afternoon. Instead, he had made a remark that carried two such very different meanings that she was astounded he would say it after he had clearly been so humiliated about showing any affection for her only the previous day. Just when she thought that she understood him, he suddenly turned his Slytherinness on and changed course again. It kept things interesting though, she couldn't say it didn't. However, it did make predicting his next move rather difficult. She had not known how to react to it; whether to play along with the innocent, food-reference way, to completely ignore the comment, to react how he supposed she would, in other words, jump to conclusions and hence jump to the defensive, or to play along with the other meaning, the one with the sexual connotation attached to it. This option she would have dearly loved to have taken, just to see his reaction afterwards. She had chosen not one of those options and was then left pondering really what he was thinking after seeing that he had stumped her so well. He had clearly noted her reaction by smirking and returning to his butterscotch pudding.

_Ooh, Draco, what am I going to do with you?_

Then there was that eventful session at the video store. Hermione had watched him as they entered and duly noted his reactions to all the films. It was quite amusing really, watching his face change as he looked around this completely new arena. His face didn't betray a great deal of what she supposed he was feeling, however his body language certainly did. He had slowly turned in all the different directions, checking out all of the shelves and noting all the different genres. When she had shown him the direction of the action films, he had given her a small look that said, "You're leaving me?" and she was sorely tempted to stay with him just to help him choose. However, she decided that he was best to check it out for himself and let him carry out his inspection alone. Besides which, whilst she did like the occasional action film, she was not really noted as being a die-hard fan of the genre.

She had found 'Romeo + Juliet' rather quickly, knowing that she had wanted to watch the film for a long time. Her mother had told her about it during one of her letters that she sent while Hermione was at Hogwarts, and had wanted to watch it ever since. The only thing was, she really had been searching for a lazy comedy that would not require any sort of thinking, given that the morning meeting had been quite trying for both her and Draco. Having a good knowledge of the story behind Romeo and Juliet, she knew that the film was not going to be anything like that; which was why she had been still searching for a film when he had returned to her so soon.

The conversation that followed could not have been more different than if she planned it. Draco had reverted back to his usual seriousness that came over him in times of uncertainty. But Hermione was sure that at one point during the conversation, his tone of voice had become just a little bit softer than it normally would, making her completely unsure of what he really was thinking. She had played innocent and decided that she must have been imagining things when he had started on the film that she had picked out to watch instead of 'Romeo + Juliet'. Yes, she certainly must have been imagining things, considering the banter between the two of them that had followed. Once again, the sly and cunning Slytherin put a spanner in the works and rendered her completely useless in the predictability of his movements. Then again, she always was hopeless at Divination.

_We're going to be watching movies together. Does Draco really know that that is usually something people would do on a first date?_

Hermione looked across at Draco on the couch. It was obvious that he had been outside, given that his hair was considerably ruffled and that damn stray lock of hair was hanging limply over his forehead. The light coming from the kitchen was shining on the back of his head, giving him an almost halo above it. He had changed into a pair of blue jeans just before dinner time and the white T-shirt that he was wearing had a couple of small dirt patches just near the hemline. Not that it bothered her. If truth be told, she found it good to know that he didn't consider dirt beneath him. However, she had to give credit where credit was due; the first Quidditch game of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin was a complete wash-out. There was not one player on the ground that was dry at the end and it was considerably difficult to tell who was who on the field. It was in that game that Draco had managed to catch the Snitch within fifteen minutes of the game, surprising not only the entire school but Harry as well, because he had actually been beaten to the Snitch by him.

Draco looked back at her in mild curiosity. "So," he said, clearly wanting to get things moving. "Shall we start it then?"

"Yes," Hermione responded, smiling at his obvious impatience. "It'll start up quite shortly."

They were both propped up by cushions and Hermione had put a rug over her legs because the nights had recently proven to be quite cold, despite the days still being considerably warm. In front of them on the coffee table was a bowlful of rice crackers, another one containing popcorn and two glasses with a bottle of orange and mineral water beside them.

"This isn't the movie, is it?" he asked again, getting more and more restless.

"No it's not. These are the previews of other movies that you can watch. Did you want me to skip them instead?"

"No, it's okay. Just if there are quite a few of them, I'd rather watch the film."

"I'm a bit the same sometimes. If the movie that is being previewed seems interesting, I'll sit and watch it but if it's something stupid, I tend to get the remote out and fast forward through them."

"Although this one looks okay," Draco said, referring to the preview on the screen.

"Ah, this is 'Austin Powers'. You know the James Bond books that you've read?"

"Yes."

"This is a take-off of those books. Although I've heard that it's not a bad movie." Seeing the look of scepticism on Draco's face, Hermione added, "It's meant to be stupid, if that's what you're wondering."

"No," Draco said sarcastically. "The thought hadn't really entered my mind, not at all."

Hermione grinned. "Not at all, hey?"

Draco's only response was a smile. They kept their silence as the previews came to a close and 'One Fine Day' started.

"This had better be good," Draco muttered.

"If you don't like it, then do you think you could sit quiet for the next hour and a half?" Hermione asked.

"Hmm, that'll test my patience significantly." He sighed. "Well, I suppose seeing as you've asked, I can try."

They continued to watch the movie in silence until ten minutes in when Draco said, "It's obvious. They'll end up together, won't they?"

"Draco!" Hermione reproved as she paused the film. "I thought you said you weren't going to make ridiculous comments."

"I said I would refrain from speaking," he muttered slyly. "There was nothing in there that said I wouldn't make stupid comments."

_Excuse me?_

"I would have thought that by not speaking you would automatically stop saying annoying statements."

"Ah yes, but that isn't what you asked, is it?"

It seemed to Hermione that Draco was back to normal after what had happened the last few days. Not that it consoled her or anything. It just proved that he could still annoy her without even having to try. Furthermore, it was obvious that he enjoyed it as well. Although she couldn't be too harsh with him. The truce that they had called had halted his biting remarks directed towards her so she couldn't really complain about him going against his word. It was just that he kept twisting her words for his own amusement and she could still not help but get impatient with him. However, she tried her best to keep from showing her agitation.

"Well, do you think that you can stop talking altogether, including making any sort of snide remarks about the film until after it?"

He looked at her and sighed again. "Alright, but you _are_ staying up to watch my movie afterwards, that's fair."

"That was the condition."

Hermione unpaused the film and they continued to watch it in silence. It was funny watching a film such as this one with the one boy who had kept all the Hogwarts girls wrapped around his thumb during the last year. During their first six years, it was obvious to Hermione that the girls thought that he was good looking, after having witnessed quite a few conversations in the female toilets. Even Moaning Myrtle was known to have said things to the other girls after revealing that she often spied on the male prefects in the bathroom.

True to his word, Draco kept his mouth shut for the duration of the film. Not that he was wrong in any way. The film was as simple and predictable as it could have been but Hermione still enjoyed it. She only hoped that Draco wasn't left completely bored shitless for the entirety of it. She knew exactly what it felt like to be forced to watch or study something that seemed like a waste of time. Sure, there was only Divination that she had outright declared her hatred for but she had experienced her fair share of movies and sports programs that she had had to endure because her father wanted to watch them.

Surprisingly enough, he didn't look outright bored with the film but perhaps, unless she was mistaken, a little interested. She had known of a couple of times where her mother had made her father endure the types of films that they alone usually watched and she knew that her father only did it because of how he felt about her mother. Of course, her mother often sat up on the couch with him while he watched something that he wanted to as well.

Draco turned to Hermione in mock surprise. "Well, that was a shock. I mean, who would have thought that that would happen?"

Hermione threw a piece of popcorn at him. "Must you be so sarcastic with everything?"

To Hermione's shock, Draco picked up the thrown piece of popcorn and returned the favour. "Didn't you ever get taught not to throw food?"

"You didn't answer my question."

He grinned. "No, I chose very deftly to ignore it. Haven't you ever known about one of the golden rules of being a Slytherin?"

"No, because in case you didn't notice, I'm in Gryffindor."

"Oh no, I did know that. There have been a remarkable number of times when you've proven that, don't you worry. No, the Sorting Hat sings it about us every year. In fact, it refers to us as 'those cunning folk'. As you can see, it has obviously played a big part just now."

"I knew that. Why else are you capable of weaselling your way out of all sorts of trouble?"

"Since when?"

"Since when Umbridge was Headmaster."

"Hermione," Draco's serious tone of voice startled her. "I thought we had got past that."

Not sure on what to say, Hermione chose not to say anything. This seemed to satisfy Draco, who only gave a smirk.

The rest of the credits rolled through as they sat in silence. As they were finishing up, Hermione crooked her head just enough to be able to get a good profile of him. For a minute, he appeared to have not seen her looking at him and she was granted the right to have a bit of a perve. She watched his gaze as he looked straight at the television screen, and could see that his eyes maintained the same look of concentration that she had often seen on him in class or buried in a book. Once again, or perhaps it hadn't been moved from the previous time, the same lock of hair had flopped across his forehead, making her want to reach out and sweep it back behind his ears to save him the trouble of doing it himself.

Suddenly, she was taken back to the day in her bedroom.

_Why Draco, did you try to kiss me the other day? When you could clearly get any girl you want, why me?_

The question rolled around her head as Hermione continued to watch him. It was at that moment that he turned and acknowledged her.

"Yes?" It was said not with a smirk or even in amusement, simply in a tone that was like a secretary who was greeting a customer.

_Oh God, he saw me staring! How am I going to get out of this one?_

Embarrassed at having been blatantly caught out gawking, she turned away from him. She was disgusted with herself at being so obvious with her observations of the opposite sex when she normally covered it up so well. Not that it was a favourite pastime of hers, not like for Lavender or Parvarti, but it was a pastime nonetheless. Besides, wasn't it in her nature as a female to secretly gaze at the boys who were coming down from the dormitories if they were wearing only towels? As much as Ron would have hated it if he knew, Hermione had been known to sneak a look at the Weasley twins every now and then as they were either on their way or coming back from Quidditch practice. Being both Beaters (when they played the game of course), they were some of the more physically endowed members on the team and it usually showed through their clothing. Staying at the Burrow or 12 Grimmauld Place had its merits as well, although it was a little harder to hide her gazing than at Hogwarts. At Hogwarts, she usually got away with it because of the many books, pieces of parchment and quills that she had lying around the tables that she worked on.

Hermione stood up quickly and walked towards the television.

"I, I think we should watch 'Die Hard' now," she quickly said, in way of moving on from what had just happened.

She did not see the look that Draco gave her as she changed the videos in the machine, nor did she hear him mutter under his breath something about her being so cute after she had said what she did. She only saw the smirk on his face as she returned back to the couch and pressed the play button on the remote control.

Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Draco lean across to the coffee table and grab some more of the rice crackers that were slowly disappearing. Not looking away from the screen, he also took a swig of his orange and mineral water before returning it back to its position. From this vantage point, it became clear to Hermione that Draco was (as she had predicted in the video store) interested in the action of the film because she did not see his eyes move once from what was happening on screen.

She smiled to herself and continued to watch the film in depth.

It was not too far into the film that Hermione heard Draco mutter under his breath, "So, this is why you watch it then."

Turning quickly, she saw him still eyeing the screen in awareness but he now had his trademark smirk plastered onto his face.

"Okay Draco," she answered rather tartly. "What's the reason for my watching this film?"

"It is obvious, isn't it? The bloke is kind of screaming 'male'."

"Yes, well, I'm sure you don't like The Charmed Ones for their music, do you? I've heard the stories going around school, how you have a poster of theirs sticking up on your wall. Their music is hardly what you would call fantastic."

"Just because they happen to be four pretty young girls from Sheffield doesn't have any bearing on my choice in listening to their music."

"What, so you like listening to manufactured pop music, do you? You make it a habit to listen to it? Judging by your reaction to the music that I played for you, you don't exactly listen to them often."

Draco opened his mouth to speak but shut it abruptly again. Hermione grinned in triumph and turned back to the screen.

"At least I don't deny that I like watching Bruce Willis," she added. "But keep watching, the film is quite good. Look out for the one-liners."

This seemed to bring Draco out of his state of shock. "The what?"

Hermione was miffed. "You don't know what a one-liner is?"

"Was I supposed to?"

"I just kind of thought that you would know what one is. I won't deny it; you have been known to pull off quite a few of them in your time."

"So what is it then?"

"A smart comment or remark that is literally only a one-line response. You can really put someone down with them or with good delivery, they can also be used to ignite an otherwise quiet room full of people."

"I wasn't aware that such comments had an official title, or is this simply a Muggle thing?"

"I didn't think it was only a Muggle thing. Perhaps it is. Come to think of it, I've never heard Ron or Harry use it in context so I don't know. Anyway, you should keep watching the film."

"Yes, true."

Nothing further was said on the topic until close to half way into the film. There was one particularly nasty scene where Bruce Willis was hiding in an air vent and one of the terrorists was searching for him, shooting up into the vent to see if he could hit him.

"Ooh!" Hermione gasped, sitting on the edge of the couch in anticipation.

She heard soft laughter beside her. "Really Hermione, it is just a film."

"Yes but I always get like this with these sorts of scenes. They are a bit squirmish to say the least."

"I thought it was because it was, who did you say it was? Some guy Willis?"

"Bruce Willis. No, it isn't just because of that."

"Then why else would it be?"

She sighed before giving her truthful response. "Because I always think of the scary times that Harry, Ron and I have faced. It is considerably horrific when none of us have expected it, especially Harry."

She saw the look of mild curiosity on Draco's face turn into something remarkably like disgust. Feeling like the conversation was not a simple matter, she paused the movie, which did not go unregistered by Draco.

"What?" she asked.

"Did you have to bring those two up here?" he asked in annoyance. "I had just got over the fact that the meeting was this morning, and then you found the need to mention them."

"If you don't realise, they _are_ my friends," she retorted. "And surely even you know that we have seen some things that others wouldn't see in a lifetime already."

"What like?"

"Draco, you know yourself what happened in the Department of Mysteries in fifth year. I won't go into it. Then this last year gone, Harry and I had been involved in the first Hogwarts attack. We were out visiting Hagrid and unfortunately we got caught up in it."

"You are still friends with that brute then?"

"Draco! Please don't have a go at Hagrid because he has been very valuable to everyone at Hogwarts. Dumbledore trusts him with his life. "And anyway, did you not just hear what I said?"

"I did. You were caught up in the Hogwarts attack. Hermione, I'm not going to lie; I'm sure it was horrible to be involved in but you three really do get yourselves into a lot of unchartered territory."

"It's not our fault that Voldemort is mad and will do what he can to defeat Harry!"

"Including chasing after me, remember?"

Draco's comment made Hermione stop short. It was completely unexpected and furthermore, was said without any malice or spite, but purely informative.

"Draco, I'm sorry. I forgot about that."

He shook his head. "It's nothing, really. I know that are aware of it because you constantly remind me that if I misbehave here, you'll send me straight back there, true?"

She grinned. "True." She looked at him seriously. "Did you want me to continue the film?"

"Go right ahead. It seems to have started becoming interesting."

Hermione clicked the 'Play' button on the remote and continued the film. For some time, the two of them sat in silence as they watched Bruce Willis play superhero against the German terrorists. It did not occur at all to Hermione as this went on that she should be worried that Draco didn't like what he was watching because for starters, it was he who had chosen to watch it and secondly, she could hear him as he became more and more engrossed in it. Little things like gasps in the right places or sometimes she stole a quick look at him to see his eyes following the action on the screen as if it was happening in real life. She was simply grateful that he was enjoying this because it meant that if need be, there was something else for him to do instead of repeating the things that they had previously been doing. It made it better for the fact that she knew he had liked playing football with Robert, and so she found it quite easy to simply relax in front of him while they watched the rest of the film.

She was so relaxed in fact, that Hermione soon found herself fighting sleep. She knew that the film only had about half an hour to go but she was sorely struggling to keep her eyes open. She wasn't sure how Draco would take it if she suddenly fell asleep in front of the telly after she had (kind of) made him watch 'One Fine Day'. She also didn't want to hurt his feelings because things had just got back to how they were before the incident in her bedroom.

_Come on, finish! I don't know if I can keep my eyes open for much longer…_

After stifling the fifth yawn in a row, she changed positions on the couch so that she was now half leaning on the arm of it and had her feet up on the couch. Draco looked at her as she did this but said nothing. Unfortunately, sleep wasn't going to let up and her new position proved to be more detrimental than the first. It was not long before she gave up trying to stay awake and so she shut her eyes.

Draco smirked as the final credits started to roll through. He had surprised himself more than anyone, having sat through the movies and watching them from start to finish. It was yet another Muggle pastime that he had endured and had come out the other side unscathed.

_Who would have thought that _I_ could sit through two Muggle movies and enjoy them?_

Technically, this wasn't exactly true; he did like watching 'Die Hard' because of the action and the storyline, as Hermione had thought. No, it was sitting through 'One Fine Day' that shocked him the most. It was the typical story that he knew his mother would like, having been an avid romantic. He had to give it a bit of credit though; the film did have its funny moments. It was just that it was obvious what was going to happen as soon as it started. However, Hermione had said that she wanted to watch a no-brainer, so he found that he couldn't really be frustrated by the lack of guesswork in the movie. The thing was, he found that he did actually like watching it, if not for the movie itself but for Hermione's facial expressions as she watched it. Draco had found it almost impossible to watch the film without turning to see what Hermione was thinking. Not that he had ever been brilliant at reading female's minds, but he found it hard not to know what she was thinking as her face shone every time George Clooney was on-screen. It was really quite cute, actually.

It was just that he still found it a little difficult to stop from saying sarcastic remarks and so when the film had finished, he had found the need to state the obvious, much to his own annoyance.

Hermione's reaction was not what he had been expecting; instead of the normal agitation that was normally present, it was playful. All he really wanted to do was irritate her because he was finding it difficult to keep his composure, especially when she had smiled at him.

Draco's prayers were answered not a moment too soon when she brought up the past. It gave him a chance to grab the upper hand in this little banter and so he seized the opportunity wholeheartedly. Yet he had found that he couldn't be upset about it; it was something that had happened and so they had to deal with it. However, he was not counting on the quiet that followed. After the credits rolled through, he had still been thinking about what he had said and wished that he could have taken it back. He didn't know why because the remark was justified but he hated the deafening silence that had followed.

But when he had gone to say something about it, he had turned and seen Hermione looking at him. Not really looking at him either but, unless he was very much mistaken, she was gawking at him in the same way that a female first-year would look at the captain of her Quidditch team. It was quite comical but he knew that she knew that she had been caught out. It only served his amusement all the more. Yet he couldn't understand why she would be looking at him like that. Wasn't it she that stopped him from kissing her the other day? Wasn't it she that had kept accusing him of being so annoying and sarcastic? And wasn't it she that had openly supported him at Headquarters?

_Shit_, Draco thought, sitting up quickly and waking from his reverie. _Where did _that_ come from?_

He quickly turned to Hermione to see what she thought of his sudden movements. What he saw he had not banked on, and stopped short at the sight of her in front of him. She was fast asleep with her head resting on a cushion on the arm on the couch; the rug that had been covering her legs had half-fallen off onto the floor. She had had her hair tied back in a pony-tail but after having been leant on quite heavily, was falling out of the hair-tie that bound it, causing a few small wisps to cascade around her face. Her breathing was slow and steady as he saw her chest rise and fall evenly.

There was absolutely nothing he could do except sit there and look at her. Draco had never felt the urge to kiss her more strongly than at this point, especially after the way he had seen her looking at him before. He could only guess that she at least liked him, given that she was so open with him at Headquarters, and now for the way that she seemed so relaxed around him. This made him glad that he hadn't quite scared her off for good but he still knew that she wasn't going to take too lightly to him suddenly kissing her. Instead, he decided it was best to simply stop the video and go to bed, letting her sleep on the couch.

He went to get up off the couch and noticed that one of her feet was pressing lightly against him, causing a small shockwave to go through his body.

_Calm yourself,_ he told himself firmly.

Draco gently moved her foot out of the way and got up from the couch. Stopping the video took a bit of guesswork but within a couple of minutes, he had the video back into its case and the television and VCR turned off. Turning back to the couch, he noticed that Hermione had slightly shifted down so that she was more on the couch than before. In doing so, the rug had fallen off her onto the floor, and seeing as it wasn't a particularly warm night, it wouldn't be long before she would start to feel the cold.

Thinking that something should be done about it, Draco walked slowly over to the couch and picked the rug up. He could smell the soft cologne of her on it, making him unconsciously pull it towards him tighter. Reluctantly, he parted with her scent and threw the rug over the top of her, being careful to cover up every part of her.

He stood up again and just looked at her for a moment. She must have registered having the rug over her because she rolled over and pulled it tightly around herself.

He could not believe who he was staring at with such affection. He knew that his father would never have approved of his feelings towards her but at that moment, he really didn't care what his father felt. Draco had known after his fifth year at Hogwarts that the beliefs of his father and those like him were bordering on the mundane. However after living with the Grangers and the way that they treated him, he was beginning to think that his father's beliefs were more akin to paranoia. If he really did have much contact with Muggles and Muggle-borns, would they possibly feel the same way? For what he knew, he had been brought up to believe that accepting them in the Wizarding community was dangerous but looking down at the girl in front of him, he knew that there was no way that she and her family would betray him in any way.

Draco slowly bent down towards her and whispered, "Thank you for everything, Hermione. You really are a wonderful person." Then, going against all of his prior convictions, he placed a hand above her crown and gently kissed her forehead.

When she didn't stir, he stood up and smiled then slowly exited the room.

Not five minutes later, Hermione woke with a start. Once again, she was not in her own room but this time, still in the lounge room where she and Draco had been watching the movies. She realised that she was fully covered with the rug that she had had over her knees, and she knew that she had not done that. She also noticed that Draco was no longer in the room, nor was the VCR or television still going. It only meant one thing; the movie was over, she had fallen asleep, and before he had left the room, Draco had covered her up properly with the rug.

_Draco's done this for me. Oh why didn't he stay?_

Yet that was not the thing that woke her up. Her head had a tingling sensation just above her brow and she didn't understand why that was the case. She had noticed it during a dream that she had where she was flying on the back of Draco's broomstick at night-time, much like the time when they actually did it. Suddenly, a bird had flown from out of nowhere and hit her square in the face. The funny thing was, as fast as both they and the bird were going, it didn't hurt as much as she would have thought. They had kept flying around for a little bit longer until Draco had suggested that they land. It was then that Hermione had woken and felt her head.

She had only had that feeling a few times in her life. If she didn't know any better, each one of those times was when she had kissed Victor.

_But I didn't kiss Draco! So why is it the case then?_

She was utterly perplexed and simply sat bolt upright on the couch for a good few minutes. It was only after the clock struck 1am that she thought that she should get up and head for her own bed.

Still confused, Hermione struggled to navigate her way out of the lounge room and up the stairs to her room. It was only when she reached her room and instinctively turned the light switch on that she realised that she had been walking around the house in the dark. Whilst she knew her house quite well, being in a state of bewilderment and trying to walk around in the dark had made it difficult to avoid running into those pieces of furniture that her mother had insisted on buying and that Hermione and her father secretly loathed for these very reasons.

She turned the lamp on beside her bed, walked back over and turned the light switch off then fell into her bed, still wondering exactly what happened after she had fallen asleep on the couch. It took some time for her to settle but eventually, she managed to fall asleep.

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**Comments:**

Well, none for this chapter really but I will say that I hope that I can write more on this and update it later on. I have a feeling I might need to re-write a bunch which I'm not looking forward to so we shall see.

Well, till next time, perhaps in a couple of days or something. See y'all! (PS. I'm not from Southern USA, I just happen to say this as well cos country Aussies tend to shorten sentences as well, must be a country thing:-) )


	28. Desires and Feelings

Hey all, long time no hear. Yes, it has taken me a while to get this up and going, though I must say that I have been really busy with uni work and other things. Not to mention, it took a while to finally go through the last couple of chapters that needed going through with this story. While I haven't quite finished the last chapter (Chapter 30) I'm only adding something at the end which, yes will probably take a little bit to add but at least I know what I want to do with it. So, without further ado, here is the latest chapter of Summer With The Grangers... ;-)

PS. Thank you to everyone who reviewed; I answered your questions and comments via email so I won't do it here. See ya!

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**Chapter 28: Desires and Feelings**

On Sunday morning, Draco didn't wake until well after 9 o'clock. It was not like he really wanted to; it was just that he had slept so soundly that he found that he simply did not wake until 9:23, according to his alarm clock. Luckily he didn't set it because he knew that if he did, the snooze function would have gone off twice and hence given him a good slapping across the face, something which he really did not want to have happen.

The previous day had obviously taken its toll on him because he found that he probably could have done with a bit more sleep anyway.

_What did I get? Over eight hours? That should be enough. I'll just have an early one tonight._

He was in such a good mood in fact that Robert's complaints of muscle soreness did not put him off at all. He knew that Robert secretly revelled in the previous day; it was only that he hadn't played that much football in a while. They weren't going to be playing that day but that didn't bother Draco. He decided that he might go and relax in the study as he had been doing before yesterday and do a spot of reading.

_Now, what should I look up today? Bugger it; I think I'll just read._

Thinking about the play that he had just started reading after 'Casino Royale', 'Twelfth Night', he realised that it was sitting beside his bed in his room.

As he was heading up the stairs to grab it, Draco ran clean into someone who was on their way down, both obviously not looking where they were going. After grabbing at the balustrade to steady himself, he looked up to see Hermione staring back at him. He was caught up in the sight of her; her pupils were dilated to the fullest and made her eyes appear as dark as the night sky. The curls of her hair were ruffled and flowing around her face, making it appear as though she was hiding something. What, Draco didn't know but that teamed with the strange look that was on her face he had the distinct feeling that something was on her mind. Not sure on what to do, he managed to give her a small grin and dodge around her and up the stairs into his room.

As he picked up the book, Draco cursed himself for being quite tactless towards her. He hadn't exactly helped her out after crashing into her, although she seemed to be okay. In actual fact, the look on her face was the thing that had stopped him from doing so. It wasn't something that he had seen on her face often and the last time that he had seen it was too long ago to remember what had caused it to appear. If he was very much mistaken, it appeared to be one of sadness, but why? Nothing had happened for her to feel that way.

Heading back down the stairs, he didn't see her in the kitchen watching as he walked past on his way to the study.

He sat back down in his now favourite leather arm chair on the left side of the doorway and opened up the book to where he was at.

Nearing 12:30, Draco thought it would be a good time to get some lunch. Upon entering the kitchen, he saw the tail-end of Hermione as she left it, oblivious to his entry.

_What _is_ wrong?_

Now starting to worry himself, he wandered across to the fridge, pulled out some things and made himself a sandwich. He did not see Hermione as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen just watching him, again, and he certainly didn't hear her heart beating at a thousand beats per minute. If he had have, he might have realised that she had just worked out why her head had been tingling the night before and that now all she really wanted was to be with him.

It was an unfortunate thing since he was so happy as to what had happened the previous night and she felt differently about it.

The rest of the day passed in this fashion, with Draco unaware of Hermione's shadow on him. It was only at dinner time, when Jane suggested that they all watch 'The Full Monty' that Draco heard Hermione speak for the first time that day.

"I don't think I will; I might have an early one tonight."

It was said almost casually, as if she really couldn't care less that her mother had suggested doing something as a family. This made Draco annoyed because to hear Jane proposing the movie made things finally fall into place between the Grangers and himself. To then have Hermione dismiss it as nothing startled him greatly and got under his skin.

"It's not like we have to get up in the morning," he spat.

"Yes but I don't know if it would be a good idea."

"Why in God's name not? Wasn't it you who suggested we watch it? If I remember correctly, you said, 'I've heard it's quite good.' And then you went on to say that if we didn't watch it tonight, meaning last night, we could watch it today."

"That was last night, this is now."

"Hermione," Jane said firmly. "Can I speak to you for a moment, please?"

Hermione looked firstly at her father, then at her mother, and finally nodded and they both left the room.

A couple of minutes passed in silence between both Robert and Draco that none of them seemed to wish to break.

Finally, Robert said wearily, "I'm sorry Draco. I would have thought that after last night, Hermione would be quite open to the idea."

"I don't know why she isn't either. She seemed like she would like it."

"Hmm, yes. Women, hey?" he laughed. "God, I love Jane dearly but after 20 years I still don't completely understand her. You would think that I would, wouldn't you?"

Draco smirked. "Maybe. But I know my father would never have understood my mother. I knew her better than he but even I didn't know everything that went on with her."

Robert looked at Draco in interest. "I've heard you speak very highly of your mother. She must be a lovely person. We've only been going on by hers and Dumbledore's owls but I can see that she very much cares about you."

"She has always tried to do what's best for me. Father wasn't ever quite that supportive. If I turned out like him, then he would be proud but if I wasn't, he would have looked down upon me. If he saw me now, I would no doubt think that he would be looking down at me."

The words were out before Draco could stop himself. He simply found it far too easy to betray his personal secrets to this man. Perhaps his father was right; Muggles were dangerous.

_No_, he thought. _It's only because he is trusting enough to enable you to open up. They all are. And since when have you have ever trusted someone enough to be able to spill your guts without them making judgement? Aside from Mother, of course and perhaps Hermione._

Just to confirm his latest thoughts about Muggles, Draco received no response from Robert except for a simple nod. This only reinforced the trust that Draco felt for him and decided that from that moment on, if he ever needed it, he could ask this man before him for guidance.

There had not been anyone in his life where he could do it, excluding his mother. However, he found that she was not always able to help him out with everything. At times when he needed his father most, Lucius had not been there to provide the answers that Draco had been seeking. Instead, he had had to tell his mother of problems that had occurred and simply hoped that she understood and/or was able to give him some advice to go on.

Now, however, he found that there was someone else – Robert Granger. A Muggle dentist who openly loved his family and cared not about what anyone thought. Someone who always tried to do what was best for everyone and whose words had managed to soothe Draco without making a mockery of his feelings.

"Come on," Robert said gently. "We can still watch it if you would like. Did you want a beer?"

Remembering the horrible taste, Draco shuddered. "No thanks, I think I'll be right."

This seemed to amuse Robert. "That's right, I remember your didn't think highly of it. Doesn't matter but I don't think I have any Strongbows. I'll have a look though."

He walked over to the fridge and opened it.

"Well, what do you know?" he said in surprise. "There is one. I think you'll like it better than beer. It's sweet and not so bitter for you. It doesn't leave an aftertaste in the mouth, either."

Draco took the proffered Strongbow and opened the twist-top. He slowly put the bottle up to his lips and took a small swig. Robert was right; it did taste much better than the beer and Draco found himself taking another swig, bigger this time.

"We can start the film. We don't have to wait for the others."

Although they didn't need to worry because at that moment, Hermione and Jane were wandering back into the kitchen. Whatever was said appeared to have worked because Hermione looked much happier than she had all day and even smiled at Draco as she passed him. He felt his stomach knot up as it seemed to do when she smiled voluntarily at him and both he and Robert followed Hermione and Jane into the loungeroom.

Whether or not it was meant to happen like it or not, Draco was not sure but when they all went to sit down, Jane grabbed one arm chair and Robert grabbed the other, leaving the three-seater couch for Hermione and himself. He didn't think Robert would have been so relenting in offering the couch for himself and Hermione if he really knew how he felt about her. Wasn't it usually the case where fathers were extraordinarily over-protective of their daughters, especially only daughters? Weren't they usually very picky as to who they let their daughters see and were very quick to tell them who not to see? This situation was much the same. Draco was a guest in their house, which meant that he was supposed to respect the host's wishes, especially family members. But if that was the case, why would Jane and Robert have sat on opposite sides of the lounge-room, allowing the two of them to sit together, if they really felt like that?

Draco could only assume that Robert and Jane were aware of what had been happening between Hermione and himself and felt a great wave of gratitude that they treated him no differently than they had been.

He sat himself down on Robert's side of the couch and let Hermione take Jane's side. He had done it because it seemed appropriate but it soon became apparent that it was easier that way since there was a small table between the couch and the arm chair that both Robert and Draco could use for their drinks.

Robert pointed the remote control at the VCR and the movie came to life.

"Do we want to watch previews?" he asked the room.

"No," Jane answered quietly. "Not this time. It's probably best just to run the movie."

"Fair enough." He pressed fast-forward and ran the video up to the point of the start of the film.

The film started with the flurry of an advertisement of Sheffield, stating the reasons for going there. Draco couldn't quite understand what was actually there, except for the steel mills, but wasn't able to see what was so special about them. However, everything seemed to make sense when the next scene started.

It became apparent very quickly that the film was not one that was to be taken overly seriously. As Hermione had said in the video store, it was a comedy and there were many times where Draco found himself laughing out loud. One particular spot in the film almost caused him to spit his Strongbow out of his mouth, having chosen quite an inappropriate time to consume it.

He wasn't really aware of the others' reactions towards the film, although Robert's chesty laugh did ring throughout the lounge-room on a few occasions. However, as good as it was to sit there and watch the film with the Grangers, there were two things amiss that would have made it even more enjoyable. His mother was the first one. As kind as the Grangers were, there was barely a time where he wasn't thinking about her. Even when he was thinking about Hermione, he was also wondering what his mother would think of her. He couldn't think of a person he wanted his mother to approve of more than Hermione, which made things with Jane and Robert just a little bit unbearable. He liked these times with them but still wished that he could be with his mother. Draco wondered whether she would be able to meet them one day, just to see the people who saved his life. There didn't seem a reason not to. However, perhaps the time would come later; now really wasn't it.

Thinking about his mother and whether she would approve of Hermione brought Draco around to the second reason that he wasn't quite enjoying the film as much as he could. He wanted Hermione to be in his arms. He wanted the feel of her body leaning against his, with her soft rosewood scent drifting up into his nose. Mostly, he wanted her to feel protected and safe around him.

God! He could smell her somehow. She had shifted her position so that… was she? Or was he imagining that the gap between them had been minimised just a little bit? He could barely contain his desire and desperately wanted to make a grab for her.

Such was his urge that he quite almost forgot everything that was happening in the movie. Robert's raucous laugh brought him back to the present and he realised that he had had his eyes shut.

_Christ, that could have been ugly had I been caught._

However, it seemed that no one actually saw him, as they were too engrossed in the movie.

_Thank God for small mercies… again._

The rest of the film passed in the same manner as it had and despite wishing that things were slightly different, Draco still enjoyed it. He didn't think that he would honestly get enjoyment out of watching a group of unemployed men stripping but luckily they didn't really show much of it. The film mainly focused on the stories of the characters and was written quite well.

"Well," Robert said as the credits started to roll through, "I think that that had better do. It's close to 11 and we still have to get up in the morning."

"Is it really?" Jane asked in surprise.

"Yes, well," he consulted his watch. "Give it a couple of minutes and it will be. So Draco, Hermione, what have you two got planned for tomorrow?"

Neither one of them answered but merely looked at each other for an answer.

"Obviously you don't have anything then?"

Once again, the two teenagers looked at one another for support. It was Draco who broke the silence.

"No, it doesn't seem like it. I wouldn't mind getting outside again."

Robert smiled. "If you wanted to have a bit of a go with the football, it's kept in the cupboard in the hallway. Providing of course you don't play inside. God only knows what will happen if another vase gets broken." At this his smile grew wider. "Knock yourself out."

Draco gave a small smile and thanked him. Hermione on the other hand, looked as though she couldn't think of anything more boring and muttered something about reading up about the latest Muggle technology in medicine. Draco couldn't understand why when she was a witch but his question was answered almost instantly.

"That's right," Jane interjected. "They want to conduct tests on stem-cells because apparently they are devising a way for paraplegics and quadriplegics to walk again."

This baffled Draco. He had never known for people to not be able to walk, or perhaps it was just because he had never really met anyone like that.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"These people have no feeling in their limbs from either the waist or neck down. I don't know if even magic can help these people. Their spinal chords have been damaged beyond repair, at least for us anyway. What they wish to do is conduct trials on some patients willing to be 'guinea pigs' for this research and, look, I'm not too sure on what they do but using stem-cells, they somehow manage to inject them into the spinal chord of the patient I think. Then with modern technology, they try to revive and repair the spinal chord to enable it to deliver the messages that it should be able to."

"Are you for real?" he asked, utterly stunned.

"Of course. You might want to have a look at it yourself. Perhaps it would help out to understand the way in which we go along without magic. You'll be surprised at just how in-depth modern medicine is. The things that they can do nowadays when 70 years ago, a bout of influenza wiped out a great deal of the world's population."

Despite himself, Draco found that he could not even attempt to look unimpressed. He had heard of Muggles being able to do things like the Wizarding community, although the ways in which they did them seemed a little strange, if not entirely scary. However, he could no longer believe that Wizard-kind was superior to the Muggle World; it just wasn't possible.

"It sounds interesting."

Hermione looked confused for a moment but quickly gave a small grin. "I told you that Muggles have really advanced with the way in which they do things."

"I guess I can't deny it, having now heard it and I guess will see tomorrow," he murmured.

"You can still go out and play football; it's not like I'm making you stay inside."

"I know that, but it does sound interesting."

"Well, it shouldn't really take long anyway. We have all day."

"Yes, true."

"Well then," Robert said in a way of finality of the topic. "Bed-time, hey?"

"We don't really have to, Dad," Hermione argued. "It's not like we have to get up, is it?"

"Point taken but still, you don't want to get into a habit of going to bed late and getting up later, do you?"

"No I guess not."

"Right. Besides, we still have to get up early and we need a good rest. I know you won't do anything stupid, Hermione and I'm assuming Draco won't either. Just don't stay up too late, that's all."

Hermione suddenly looked down at her feet as Robert said this and Draco could only assume that it was because at Hogwarts, she managed to get herself into some ridiculous situations without ever really needing to.

"We won't. Goodnight Mum, Dad."

"Good night, you two."

Hermione left the room just ahead of Draco and they both hurried up the stairs to their rooms.

Just as Draco was about to go into his room, Hermione uttered quietly, "Draco," causing him to do a double-take. He dared to look her in the face, hoping against all others that she couldn't read his mind.

"Yeah?"

"I think you will find Muggle technology fascinating."

"I hope so. Goodnight."

She smiled. "Goodnight."

As he hopped into bed, Draco couldn't help but think that somehow things had changed significantly between the two of them, ever since the previous morning. Somehow, his nightmare had turned into a blessing in disguise. At the time, it seemed the most horrific thing that he had to endure but now looking back at it, he was almost glad it happened. Because of it, he had opened up about the attack on the Ministry official, removing a massive weight off his shoulders, but more importantly (and as selfish as it seemed now thinking about it), it had mended the rift between Hermione and him. If anything, it made them closer than before, making Draco eternally grateful that Dumbledore placed him in the care of her family.

He rolled over and snuggled into the blankets, smiling to himself at the prospect of being able to spend another day with her.

* * *

**Comments:**

When Robert is talking to Draco about his mother, he of course doesn't know anything about her except what Draco has told him. This I sometimes forget given that in my other story he managed to get her pregnant! ;-)

Stem-cell research - this is only a guess, tho I think this is one of the basic concepts of stem-cell research.

Any questions, just lemme know. You know the drill, I think I have successfully repeated myself about 28 times now... haha! But still, any questions... See ya!


	29. Reasoning

Where the hell is the line? For some reason the line won't work. And hello to all, sorry this is so late. As you'll see though, this isn't a short chapter and the next couple are much the same. So, whilst the last couple of months I haven't written anything, the times that I wasn't updating but I mentioned I was writing, I was WRITING. There's a shitload here. Anyway, won't hold you up any longer...

Here is Chapter 29.

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**Chapter 29: Reasoning**

As she awoke the next day, Hermione soon realised that she was very much looking forward to what the day was going to bring. It was not the prospect of showing Draco more about her own world, it was the fact that she was spending time with Draco himself that excited her.

The last couple of days had certainly shifted their feelings for one another; that much was obvious even to a blind man. The meeting at Headquarters was almost like their first official appearance as friends, given that the Order members' reception of Draco was hardly going to be welcoming. Hermione knew that her friends were not going to take it well that she was becoming close to Draco, or rather, _was _close to Draco. Ron's reaction was nothing out of the unusual. It just went to show that he had not matured at all during the last couple of years and even since his first year at Hogwarts, where his opinions were quite unfavourable towards the Slytherins. Even Harry himself had matured somewhat, albeit only a little bit. At least he seemed like he could refrain from locking horns with Draco if the situation arose, given _he_ had more right than Ron to dislike him.

She was certainly glad that he had enjoyed watching Muggle movies because even though she thoroughly enjoyed a good book, she still liked the prospect of taking a break from thinking while watching films. She was even more grateful when she had seen Draco enjoying himself. However, given the exhausting nature of the day, she had not been able to stay awake during the last half an hour of 'Die Hard'. And that was where things had really changed.

It was not until yesterday morning that she had figured out what caused the tingling in her forehead. The main clue was as she had expected; Victor had left that same feeling but on her lips when she had been with him. Funnily enough, Ron had never quite achieved that feat. Instead, his kisses were leaning more towards the 'sloppy and all over the place' style. Not favourable, to say the least.

But Draco's lingering peck on the forehead had taken her back to the time of Victor, and whilst she no longer felt any desire for him, she could certainly remember the way that she felt when she was with him. He would always finish the kiss and leave her with the yearning for more; the way a truly good kiss should be.

Yet the one thing that had confirmed her suspicions of Draco, was when she bumped into him on the stairs. She went to pick herself up and could sense that he had too, but when she stared at him, his eyes, the so-called door to the soul, were flashing with what Hermione could not mistake as anything else but desire. Afterwards, she had desperately wanted to go back and reciprocate the feelings but at the time, was wishing that she had been awake to receive the kiss.

That scenario had caused her to keep her distance from him the entire day. She just felt embarrassed by what had happened the night before, even though she had nothing to do with it. It was because she had so desperately wanted to be awake to receive the kiss but couldn't be, for reasons that Draco chose himself. She didn't know what to say to him because she thought that it might be a bit forthright to say, "Why didn't you wake me up to kiss me?" and so she had no idea on how to approach him all day. Instead, Hermione had kept a vengeful watch on him for the remainder of the day; not that he would have known. When she was in the same room as him, she did her best to avoid his gaze yet when she knew he wasn't looking, would watch him carefully; studying his movements whilst he went about his business.

It was only at dinner time that things became a little bit more obvious between the two. Once more, Hermione tried her hardest to avoid his gaze, knowing what he would be thinking. She couldn't understand herself, really. She wanted nothing more than to spend time with him yet when that time came, she hid away, scared of what might happen. When Jane had suggested watching the last movie, her mind finally triggered back to reality. When she said she didn't feel like watching it, everyone's reactions were not how she had first thought they would be. Her father had simply looked at her in slight wonder, as did her mother, but Draco's reaction was the hardest to take. He had first looked confused and then slowly that changed to hurt, which tugged at Hermione's heartstrings.

She could only thank her mother, who had taken her away at just the right moment to talk to her. With her, Hermione had been able to spill forth her true feelings of the situation, without Jane interrupting her or telling her that she was wrong.

"I just don't know what I'm doing. He must really wonder why I've been avoiding him all day," she had said.

"Oh, Hermione. It's confusing, I know. You can't always predict your movements when it comes to this sort of thing. But sometimes, you have to take some risks, like now maybe."

"Mum, why are you so supportive in all this?"

Jane sighed. "I can't say that I was entirely happy at the start but after a few days, I realised that he just had it tough in life at times, moreso than others. You also forget, Hermione, I was your age once. I could see the effect that he had on you and also the effect that you had on him, so I knew that I didn't really have a say in what would eventually happen."

"You could see what he felt for me?" Hermione smiled.

"It takes an outside source to be able to see for sure. When it concerns yourself, there's usually a lot of speculation so we sometimes need someone else for another opinion. I don't think Draco's ever really had someone with whom he could spend so much time with on a regular basis over his summers."

"I guess you're right. He did say that he spent a fair bit of time just reading or doing his work at Hogwarts. I never thought that he was the sort, though I guess I was being pretty narrow-minded."

"Yes, well, we never really know someone unless we live in their shoes for a while." Jane paused. "He's a good kid underneath. It obviously shows with the choices he has made since his father's incarceration."

"I can't believe the turnaround, honestly. He was so awful back then but now he's not only matured but he's also shown just what he can be like."

"Just remember when we go back into the room, he will feel just as awkward about this as you. He might be this headstrong person but he is still a boy. But Hermione, do be careful. I trust your judgement after what I have seen but you are still our only child and we don't want you to get hurt."

"Mum, he's an only child too, don't forget that. His mother is putting his needs in front of her own and making sure that he is safe. She doesn't want him to get hurt, either."

"You know what I mean, Hermione."

"I know."

The gratitude towards her mother was enormous, given that in any other situation, she wouldn't normally be even associating with Draco, let alone feeling anything towards him. She knew her mother was very hostile towards such matters, but in the last couple of years since Voldemort's return, had slowly shown more and more trust in her daughter's judgement.

_Hmph,_ Hermione thought. _Judgement? I'm chasing after someone who would ordinarily have tried anything to rid his world of those like Mum and Dad. Funny how things change._

But she knew that it was pointless denying her feelings towards him. Something would have to be done shortly, that was a known fact but what? What could be done and how was it supposed to? Given what had happened, Draco was hardly going to take matters into his own hands because even though things were as good as they could ever be between them, it was obvious that he still felt slightly reserved towards her when it all came down to it.

_But what about that comment the night before? But that was just him playing, I'm sure that if he was serious he wouldn't have said it._

Hermione sighed. Reading Draco was harder than reading any of her Ancient Runes textbooks. Despite his obvious comfort to be around her, she wondered what would happen if one night, she decided to lean up against him on the couch. Would he stiffen up and move away or would he be relaxed and place an arm around her? So many things to consider, God! Why was this so difficult to gauge?

It was no use sitting in bed all morning thinking about it. Sooner or later she would have to get up and start the day.

It took her the most part of half an hour to find some clothes and have a shower. When she finally surfaced in the kitchen, it was close to 9am. Her mother had left and so it seemed, her father. But the one person whom she was expecting to see there was nowhere to be seen. _What on Earth could he be doing?_

She didn't see Draco the entire time that she was having breakfast, which for him was incredibly strange. It occurred to Hermione that perhaps he had had breakfast a little earlier than usual and had something pressing that he wished to get on with. Something pressing – she thought over her words. How could he have something pressing given he was at her place? It was not like he'd scheduled to meet up with Crabbe and Goyle, was it?

This twigged Hermione's interest. Not that she liked being nosy, well not all the time anyway, but she found it quite funny that he wasn't down at breakfast when he was usually there when she was. Or he at least made an appearance when she was there. In fact, she couldn't even hear any movement upstairs.

After breakfast, she headed upstairs to the bathroom and neatened up her hair that had managed to get out of its ponytail as well as giving her teeth a good brush. She could still not hear any movement in the house and for that reason, decided to head outside with a book about stem-cell research to also see if Draco was out there.

She only got so far as the back door before hearing, "...shoots, he scores! Goal to Draco Malfoy and the crowd goes wild!"

She opened the door up quietly and watched him as he was playing with the football in the front of the goal posts. She had often watched her father when she was doing work and he was outside playing and could appreciate his passion for the sport, even though it was something that she would never share. Seeing it again with Draco brought a smile to her face. He was obviously not in the same league as her father as far as skills went, but for someone who had only just begun to play, he was quite good. His motions were fluent and graceful; admittedly, they were much like how he played Quidditch. His eyes did not leave the ball for a second, up until the point of contact on it, as he watched it take flight through the air and into the goal once more.

He spoke again whilst he played. "This Liverpool crowd love him! This boy who has not even grown up with football has suddenly become the toast of the town! He dodges around three players, watch this boy play! He lines up his shot and again! Two-nil to Liverpool! The crowd is on their feet…"

Hermione started to clap, being part of the 'crowd' that Draco was referring to, causing him to stop in his tracks and stare at her. Nothing was said for a good minute, they both just stood staring at each other.

_Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to let him know I was watching._

"How long have you been standing there?" he finally asked, in what Hermione could only assume to be complete embarrassment.

She smiled, hoping that he would know that she wasn't trying to embarrass him. "Not long but enough to see you dodge around the three players and score for Liverpool."

He turned away in humiliation. "You weren't supposed to hear that." _Damn. Seems he thought I was._

"It's alright. I haven't seen you play anything else but Quidditch; I was wondering what you'd be like at football."

"Well," he turned back towards her. "You've just found out then, haven't you? Laugh, go on."

Hermione only looked at the dangerously narrow eyes staring back at her, ready for the attack. She had seen the look far too many times to let it bother her anymore. Remembering the mood of yesterday, she knew that she would have to approach the situation with caution, given Draco's fickle temperament. Her only guess was to act in a calm manner, given that if she flew off the handle he would react much the same but at least if she remained quiet, he would have no excuse to blow up. Besides which, she found no reason to shout when she was so impressed with what she had just seen as well as his courage that he had shown over the last couple of days; a rarity for a Slytherin.

She left the spot on the verandah that she was occupying and started to walk over to him. He continued to look at her as she approached but his menacing look slowly dissipated into something more along the lines of confusion and hostility.

When she got to within two feet of him, Hermione looked at him again. "Draco," she said softly. "Why on Earth would I laugh?"

This was obviously not what Draco was expecting and she saw his obvious discomfort at where this was heading.

"Because… I'm not very good, that's why."

Hermione blinked. "What? For someone who's only just started, I'd say you were very good."

"Of course you'd say that. You'd say the same thing to Longbottom."

"Well actually, I wouldn't word it like that. I'd say that he had only just started and to keep at it. I wouldn't outright say that he was good."

"Hold on," Draco shook his head and raised a hand in submission. "You're saying that you would just humour him?"

"I do admit, Neville isn't the greatest sportsman in the world and so I wouldn't lie in telling him he was. You on the other hand, are different."

"How am I different?"

"You are good. What's more, you know you're good. You were always telling people at Hogwarts that you are."

Draco stiffened up and narrowed his eyes again. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I do that just so that they think I'm good?"

Hermione snorted. "That's ridiculous. Why would you do that?"

"Because," he hesitated before waving his hand away. "Oh it doesn't matter. Just know that perhaps I'm not as good at everything as people think."

_Um, right._

"I'm not really following. Why would you boast in the corridors about how good you are if you didn't live up to it?"

"I told you, it doesn't matter."

"Draco," Hermione warned. "Please don't do this to me. You've already told me enough to blow your pride out the window. Who am I going to tell? Hardly Ron and Harry, am I? Think about it; you and I weren't exactly known to be friends before this whole thing. Seeing me being friendly towards you at the meeting didn't exactly go down too well with either one of them although admittedly, Harry did take it better than Ron. That is not to say he was happy about it. Even if you told me three weeks ago, I'm not the sort of person to blab secrets anyway. It's never been in my nature to do so because I really can't stand gossip. Do you see my point?"

Draco sighed. "Oh alright." He took another deep breath before continuing. "I tell people that I'm good because if it gets back to my father then he knows that I'm living up to his name. That way, he might actually be proud of me."

Hermione was taken aback. Receiving such an honest and confronting answer from him when he was usually so hostile was something that she was still getting used to.

"Oh Draco," she said softly as she stepped towards him, taking one of his hands into both her own and squeezing it gently. She didn't know what it was that possessed her to do that but now that she had done it, she couldn't let go. Nor did she want to.

He looked down at her hands around his but did not move it. If anything, Hermione felt it grip hers ever so slightly. Draco then looked back at her, the sadness in his eyes now obvious. "What?"

"You don't have to do that, you realise."

"What else am I going to do to receive his pride at me being his son?" The words were almost spat back.

"Why does he even deserve your admiration of him? What's he to be proud of? He's in Azkaban, serving a life-sentence for using the Unforgivables against innocent victims. Draco, I know he's your father and it's completely unfair for me to say this but you cannot let him control you like he has been, especially now since he's not even in your life."

He looked down at his feet and said nothing. Things were quiet between them for the longest time that Hermione soon regretted saying what she had said.

"You're absolutely right," he said with such volition that Hermione was initially confused as to what he was saying it to.

"About your father?"

"Yeah, everything has finally clicked into place. It's funny; it passes your mind often enough but it isn't until someone points it out that it makes you see it for what it truly is. He's never been a good father to me. I've always strived to please him and yet, anything I do isn't good enough for him. He will never approve of anything I choose to do unless it is something that he would have done or has done." He laughed mirthlessly. "Now look at him; oh! how he would laugh if he knew where I was and how I felt about it but you know what, Father?" He looked upwards towards the sky, took his hand out of Hermione's and raised both hands in a completely rude gesture. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK! HOW'S THAT!"

What happened next was so unforeseeable that Hermione would often think about that moment for the following week. Draco grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards him with such necessity that Hermione could not refuse but only go along in utter perplexity. He then placed one of his hands behind her head and pushed his mouth down onto hers in a rough kiss. And as quick as it had happened, he had let go of her.

"THERE!" Draco once again shouted to the sky. "I JUST KISSED A MUDBLOOD! WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT!"

Hearing the word that he had refrained from using for so long brought a sudden fifth-year feeling to Hermione's situation. Yet her shock was far outweighed by Draco's anger and she found herself unable to argue the point. Instead, she could only watch as he struggled to overcome his own fury.

It took quite some time for his breathing to slow down from the heavy breathing to something more normal. Finally, the sereneness of the day seemed to calm him and he turned away from Hermione and sat down on the football in exhaustion.

"God," he muttered, running his hands through his hair continuously. "What am I doing?"

The question didn't seem to be directed at anyone but Draco himself. Hermione really didn't know what to do, given that she was still unsure as to what just happened. Draco had actually kissed her. In strange circumstances, but he had done it. This time, it did not make her excited; the kiss seemed to be done in revenge, or spite, just to prove he could. She couldn't understand why he would do that; it was not like his father was anywhere near him.

She suddenly felt hurt that he would use her since she was the closest thing to him that resembled something outside his pure-blood normalities. It made her feel like a piece of meat, the so-called 'Mudblood' that Draco had often called her at school up until their sixth year.

_Old habits die hard._

"I'm sorry about that," he muttered after a long time, although it didn't seem to be directed at Hermione but instead to his hands.

She didn't think it was right of her to do it but she could not suddenly stop how she felt. "Who are you apologising to?" she asked in annoyance.

Draco looked up at her. "What do you mean? You, of course."

"So not your father then?"

"What? Why would you think that?"

Her frustration did not leave her. "You called me 'Mudblood' for one, a name that you seemed to have stopped calling me for one reason or another. Second of all, the apology was directed not at me but to yourself. I thought that you may have been directing it to your absent father."

Draco only looked down at his feet again. "I did call you 'Mudblood', didn't I?"

"That is what I just said."

Draco sighed heavily and looked back up at her. "I'm really sorry about that. I can't say I did it on purpose and in a better frame of mind, I most certainly would not have used it. My only excuse is that to my father, that is what you are. That's what he thinks of you; there's no denying that. It's not what I think, surely you know that."

Hermione could feel her own anger shift within her and move to somewhere less noticeable. "But you didn't know me at the start of the year. Why would you avoid calling me that at any moment? There were many times where you could have."

"I found that there was no reason to."

"Sorry?"

"I realised that there isn't any reason to call you that."

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Are you for real?"

"Yes." He stood up from the ball, looked over towards the fishpond and gestured towards it. "I haven't told you why I stopped believing my father, have I?"

Hermione was taken aback. This wasn't what she was expecting but she obliged and was touched that he was going to tell her the reason behind his sudden change in opinion. Not just any opinion, but one that was once directed at her, and now she was the one who was being told in confidence.

They walked over towards the fishpond and sat in the seat that overlooked it. Draco didn't look directly at Hermione but instead, held his gaze towards the fish that were swimming in the pond. She on the other hand, watched him as he started to speak, gauging his facial expressions for confirmation of his words.

"It happened at the end of our fifth year, after you and Potter put my father away." The words weren't spoken harshly, only matter-of-factly because in truth, that was what happened. Yet it didn't stop Hermione from feeling guilty at doing it. "I was livid, I won't deny it. Potter heard me; I was going to make him pay for it. But for some reason, Mother wasn't overly concerned about his incarceration. Well, she was terribly upset but it was moreso because she would no longer have her husband around.

"I have always had the feeling that her viewpoints differed from my father's. When he would rant on about his latest Muggle victory or Muggle politics, she would shake her head and roll her eyes but never say anything. If he was out on an expedition somewhere, she and I would, as I've said before, read or have a quiet night together but every now and then, she would say that she thought that they were wasting their time doing what they were doing. It came as a bit of a shock to me considering the family that she is from. Yet she never seemed like she truly belonged there. Despite what others think, I have a feeling she only married my father to make her parents happy. Marrying a pure-blood; the one thing that would make an old wizarding family proud. Of course, I believe she loves him but the fact that I heard her say some things about Muggles that didn't quite correspond to my father's way of thinking was something I couldn't shake.

"At the time when Father went to Azkaban, I decided that I would finally ask her the questions that I was too scared to ask when he was around. Mainly in confirmation of my own suspicions, I asked her if she shared the same opinion as Father."

Here, Draco breathed inwardly, as if preparing himself for a long haul. He turned towards Hermione and continued.

"She bluntly said no. She didn't like his ways but felt that she had no choice in the matter. She has always felt his presence, even when he's not been in the mansion. I believe that she's kept her mouth shut to avoid any problems that occur within families such as mine. I think it was the same with her own family as well. You'd know that she was a Black, wouldn't you?" Hermione nodded. "Well, old wizarding families such as my ancestors are too powerful to be able to sway the viewpoints of. She told me that when she was deciding on a suitable partner, it was 'suggested' by her family that she marry my father. She was not amused in the slightest. The thought of marrying someone who was known for his womanising, not just the pure-bloods either, and his one-track ways wasn't anyone whom she wanted to become involved with."

Hermione gaped at him, not quite believing what she was hearing.

Seeing her expression change, Draco nodded. "True, this shocked me as well. But anyway, she knew that if she was to share in the family fortune then that is what she would have to do. She is a smart woman, my mother. Perhaps greedy to some but to me, it was opportunistic. If she didn't, then she would be living a very poor life because witches were known to be mothers, not have careers. Those who did go against their families usually had to turn to prostitution to keep themselves. Going against an old wizarding family's belief was scorned upon – it still is. So it was not something that she really had a choice in. Father used all of his power as a Malfoy to sway my mother's thoughts and finally, she was charmed over by him. She did fall in love with him, as he was completely besotted by her, but it did take considerable amounts of money to do so. I asked her if he stopped his womanising ways to win her over and she believed that he did.

"So why then did she differ in opinion to him and the rest of her family? I really don't know for sure. I think it had something to do with her sister, Andromeda."

"That's Tonks' mum, isn't it?" Hermione interrupted.

"Yes, that would be her. She married a Muggle-born, so perhaps it had something to do with her going outside of the family ways to do what she wanted, and what's more, succeed. It certainly did not look good to the rest of the family. Mother didn't go into real specifics as to why she thought differently. She mainly said that she thought that pure-blood ideals were a waste of time and that she really couldn't see anything wrong with Andromeda's choice of husband. I wasn't too sure myself whether that was the only reason but she made a convincing case that Muggle-borns weren't what my father and her family made them out to be like.

"For the record, Mother was the one who told me not to use the word 'Mudblood'. She hated hearing my father use the word; that much was obvious but she finally told me that she believes that there is no difference between pure-bloods, half-bloods and Muggle-borns. She only needed to point out all of the successful students that have passed through Hogwarts who have been from these families. Tonks being one, she also made mention of you."

This little acknowledgement towards Hermione from one of the Wizarding World's most powerful women was quite confounding. She sat dumbfounded; staring at Draco as he only looked back in slight amusement.

"But, why?" she asked.

"Hermione, it's pretty obvious. My father was always comparing my marks with yours and saying that – forgive me for saying it – a Mudblood was receiving better grades than the one heir of the Malfoy estate. Needless to say he was not amused. Mother on the other hand confided that she always found it amusing that this happened and was quietly interested in finding out more about the Muggle-born who got top marks in most of her classes. Not that she didn't care what marks I got, it was just that she always finds it interesting when Muggle-borns succeed.

"She was disappointed that Father would put such an emphasis on my marks. She used to tell me on the side that there was nothing to be ashamed of and that Father should be grateful that his son received the marks he did because he himself wasn't an above-average student. Yet it did not deter her wont to find out more about you. Don't get me wrong; she did not want to find out absolutely everything about you but she was merely curious that someone who had no knowledge prior to turning 11 about the Wizarding World could suddenly know everything there was to know about it."

"I wouldn't say 'everything'. There's a great deal I don't know about."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Spare me please; it kills me to say that you really are very smart and you know it."

Hermione grinned. "You aren't so bad yourself, you realise."

"I know but I won't deny that hearing about you from Father made it all the more annoying when you did beat me. I really don't think it would have bothered me so much had it not been for him."

"He's not here now though; just remember that."

"True, it's just something that's hard to shake every now and then."

"So that's what swayed you?"

"What's that?"

"About Muggle-borns and pure-bloods?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother, I mean. She convinced you that we aren't as bad as pure-blood wizarding families think."

"I won't deny that I am still wary of Muggle-borns – " Hermione glared at him. "Please," Draco put his hands up in resignation. "I've grown up believing that they are the scum of the earth and to find out that they aren't is still hard to come by. So yes, I am still a bit wary but Mother does have quite a hold over my opinions. Her opinions are always based on fact, not on someone else's beliefs."

"She doesn't always take people at their words?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"No. It depends on who it is, of course. But generally speaking, she will only believe it if she has proven herself that it is true."

Hermione looked once more at Draco. His face was entirely convincing; there was not one hint of amusement or scepticism anywhere to be found and this was enough for her to believe him.

"I'm glad you've told me this."

Draco looked slightly baffled. "Why is that?" he asked.

"Because it just proves that you never really know a person until you hear things straight from the horse's mouth or until you've lived in their position. I've now learnt a lot about your mother as well. Well, enough really. I can't believe she managed to live with your father though, no offence to you but given that she didn't even share the same opinion as him, how on earth did she manage to stay with him?"

"She is tough, I know that. People say that she was weak to stay there but me, I have another opinion. She knew what the alternative was and nowadays, things are different but then, she didn't really have an alternative. It was either be a mother and a wife, or be a whore. There is nothing else."

"What about the teachers at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked in exasperation. "Most of them are female."

"Pfft! To her family, that was probably the second worst thing to marrying a Muggle. Not that she wouldn't have been good at it. She confided that the Sorting Hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw but knew that it would not do, given that she was a Black, and Blacks were put in Slytherin."

"What about Sirius, then? He was put in Gryffindor."

"Yeah, and look what happened to him?" Draco retorted. "Mother told me that that was the beginning of a long-life rift between him and his mother. The family thought it was a great shame that he was not put in Slytherin. Quite frankly, I can see their point. It would look strange that after generations of being part of one house, suddenly the family had members in the 'other' house."

"There is nothing wrong with Gryffindor!" Hermione felt the need to defend the house that had served her so well.

"I didn't say there was, I just said that it would look strange if it was like that. Come on; imagine if one of the Weasleys was put in Slytherin. I wouldn't doubt that Mother Weasley would have almost killed them. I've known that the Weasleys have been in Gryffindor for as long as we've been in Slytherin." Seeing Hermione's face change, he smirked. "You didn't think of that, did you?"

"No I guess not. But still, what is so bad about Gryffindor?"

"Well, what is so bad about Slytherin?"

"I asked you first."

"So?" Draco quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "I asked you second."

"Which gives me the right to be answered first."

"Who made that rule up?"

"That's what happens. So," Hermione turned her whole body to face him. "Are you going to tell me?"

Hermione could see that she had beaten Draco in the argument. Savouring the moment, she smiled, knowing that he would soon give her an answer.

_Come on, you've lost so just tell me. There is no shame in losing anyway._

Draco paused before giving her his answer. "No."

_What?_

"What?" she was utterly confused.

"No," he repeated. "I'm not going to tell you."

"Why the hell not?"

"Not until you tell me." There was a hint of a smirk twitching his lips, as if he knew just how much this irritated her.

"But I asked you first!"

"And to me, that doesn't matter."

"Well, I'm not telling you until you tell me."

"Fine, then, you just won't know what is so bad about Gryffindors."

"And you won't know what is so bad about Slytherins."

"The difference between you and me is; that doesn't bother me. You on the other hand, will eventually succumb to this because, correct me if I'm wrong, you _have_ to know why someone may not like a Gryffindor, being one yourself."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

Draco's eyes flashed with a playful malice as he took up her challenge. "Oh I will."

They sat there silent for a good while, Draco looking serenely out over the water while Hermione was getting more and more agitated with the silence.

_No, I will not surrender to him, I will not surrender to him, I will not surrender to him, I will not surrender…_

But as Hermione watched Draco watch the fish, she could see that he was indeed right; she did have to know why.

_Fuckit!_

"Alright!" she yelled. "You absolute bastard, I have to know why you don't like Gryffindors."

"The condition was I would tell you if you said why you don't like Slytherins." It was obvious that Draco was thoroughly enjoying himself, given that he was still sitting calmly and not even raising his voice in the slightest.

"Fine! Slytherins do exactly this!"

"This being…"

"Twisting words around!"

"Unless something's changed in the last five hundred years, I haven't ever recalled anyone being hurt because words were twisted around."

"Alright! Then there's the whole notion about there being far more bad-wizards being churned out of Slytherin than good ones."

Draco visibly stiffened. Hermione knew that she had hit a sensitive spot but in the light of the argument, didn't care, despite everything that was previously said.

"Okay, I won't deny that but it is a well-known fact that Slytherin accepted pure-bloods. It just so happened that those pure-bloods were part of old wizarding families that had had nothing to do with Muggles. Oh and I'm sure you're aware that when a lot of these family beliefs started, it was the Middle-Ages when witches and wizards were burned at the stake for possessing an ability that Muggles didn't have?"

"But if I've read about it correctly, burning didn't kill witches and wizards. They thought of it as a game."

Draco suddenly turned quite serious. "Don't you get it? If Muggles had have known that what they were doing was a waste of time, they would have found other ways. They felt threatened and thought that they were going to be hurt. Quite frankly, most wizards and witches of the time just wanted to rub it in their faces that they could do things that Muggles couldn't. Obviously, nowadays things are pretty different but at the time, it was more important."

Hermione was speechless. She hadn't thought of it in that way and sure enough, Draco had a fair point.

"Okay, that was something I didn't consider. But surely people's beliefs would have changed as they realised that Muggles changed as well."

"They didn't want to risk it. Most families stayed well within the Wizarding World because they thought that like Wizards, Muggles were still doing things as they did back then. You've seen my shock at all the technology that Muggles have, you can imagine what it would be like for an older member of the Wizarding Community."

Hermione sighed. "I really don't know what to say but I guess I can understand why families would think that. It doesn't change the fact that what some wizards have done is completely inhumane but in a strange way, I guess I can see things a little differently."

"Look Hermione, I don't deny that some things are completely irrational but I'm just telling you why pure-blood families have been wary of Muggles. Of course, over the years people have been influenced by these beliefs and created ones of their own, stating that Muggles did this and they did that but initially, they had reason to think what they did."

"Okay, but I just want to say, why is the Weasley family so welcoming to Muggles and Muggle-borns?"

Draco scoffed. "No offence but I think Weasley Snr. thinks of Muggles more of a sideshow than of actual beings. He's generally always talking about the wonders of Muggles and how they get along. Really, have you ever heard of him asking anything that isn't 'how is it that they are able to do it?'?"

Come to think of it, Hermione hadn't really remembered when he had asked her anything that wasn't to do with living in a Muggle home. As good a person as Arthur was, she could see that his interest was probably moreso out of surprise that Muggles had advanced as much as they had.

It also brought forth in her mind a few more times when she had heard the Weasleys putting down Muggles. Ron talking about the accountant cousin whom they don't speak to (he married a Muggle, didn't he?), Mrs. Weasley talking about stitches being a ridiculous Muggle invention. It was true; even a close family like the Weasleys were wary towards Muggles. Okay, they didn't outright refuse to speak to them but it seemed that no pure-blood family were 100 right with Muggles.

"Hermione?" Draco's voice cut her thoughts.

"Sorry?"

"You've been quiet for about five minutes. Are you alright?"

Hermione looked up at him, seeing only a look of concern in his face.

"Yeah I am. I just realised that it's true; even the Weasleys are wary when it comes to Muggles. They may not be in terms of associating with them but I don't think that they have spoken to any other Muggles except my parents."

"I realise how things have probably been quite hard for you. I've felt like that since I've been here but I guess considering I haven't really had to experience the outside world, it hasn't been as bad. I won't deny it though, it has been bloody frustrating to say the least. We probably haven't been that receptive of any Muggle-borns that have come to Hogwarts either."

"No, I can't say that you have."

"I know that. You wanna know the truth behind that?"

"What, there is more than just thinking that all Muggle-borns are scum?" Hermione asked sarcastically but with no real malice in her voice.

"Really, I think that is just something that we say. In all honesty, I guess we're threatened by them."

"Threatened?" Hermione looked at him in disbelief.

"Yes, threatened. Think about it; we've grown up with magic all around us but Muggle-borns don't even know that they are magic until they receive their letter for Hogwarts. If they succeed, then that means that there is no need for wizards to be pure-blood. Every single family that has tried for years to keep the bloodlines pure has done so in vain. It obviously doesn't matter whether you are pure-blooded or not; you are as clever as what you are anyway."

"Can I say something here?"

"Yeah, what's that?"

"I can tell that you would be a good football player if you trained hard. You may not get to the point that professional players will but if you had have started when you were 11, having no experience in the sport whatsoever, you would probably be the same. People who have grown up playing the sport would feel threatened as well."

"So you can see my point then?"

"Well, yes but I'm saying that that's just the way it goes. You have to accept that some people are going to be better than others. I know that I will never be good at anything Quidditch-related because I was never any good at Muggle sports. Okay, if I was to go out and play you one-on-one then you will soon see that you will easily beat me. I've grown up with football and you haven't."

"But you haven't played it, have you?"

"Trust me, Dad did try to get me to play it but I wasn't any good and so that's why I'm not really interested. You on the other hand have shown more interest than me in the space of two days."

"That doesn't bother you then?"

"No, but I guess this situation is not as full-on as yours. However I could see how it would feel to be a pure-blood and suddenly have a group of people infiltrate your culture and I'm assuming it seems like they are trying to take over."

"That's another reason for pure-blood animosity, but I know that Muggle-borns don't try to do it on purpose. Or at least I know that now."

Hermione hesitated. "Can I tell you something?"

Draco twisted his body around so that his back was leaning up against the arm of the chair, giving her his full attention. "Yeah, sure."

Hermione knew that what she was about to tell Draco she had never told anyone before, not even Harry or Ron. This was because for Ron, he would never understand and for Harry, who had not had it easy during his childhood, would think that she was complaining about nothing. What they didn't know was that it had been quite difficult for her as well.

"You'd be surprised just how hard things have been for me even in the Muggle World."

Draco looked at her in curiosity. "Why is that?"

"Because ever since I was a little girl, I've always known I was different. I used to get along with some of the girls at primary school but overall, I knew that I had something that not everyone else had. I strived to be good in all of my classes, except P.E. – that's physical education or 'sport' – because I knew that I was hopeless at it. But for some reason, the others felt threatened that I should be able to do all of my homework when it was due and they couldn't. But as I was to find out later on, that wasn't the real reason why they felt a bit wary of me.

"There was one occasion on a school camp that sticks in my mind very clearly. I overheard one of the girls saying to another, 'Don't let Hermione sleep in this dorm. There's something about her that I don't quite like.' And her friend goes, 'Why is that?' to which the first said, 'My brother said that he saw her walking home one day and set a rose bush alight. But she didn't have any matches or anything, apparently it just went up. And not only that, he said that another friend had picked on her for being smart and then suddenly he had a blood nose.' And that was it. Yes, those two incidents did happen and I had no control over them but afterwards, rumours flew around the school that I was weird and that I was to be avoided. Mum and Dad don't know this but after that, I hated school. I dreaded waking up in the morning, knowing that I would have to face the ridicule and everything else there. I was worried that something else 'strange' would happen.

"When I got my letter to Hogwarts, I was thrilled. Finally, there was an explanation as to why these things happened to me. There would be others there who could do the things that I could. And a witch! That stuff only happens in fairy tales. Would I be a good witch? I sincerely hoped I would. Then when I got there, everything was the same as it had been only this time, they didn't avoid me because of me being 'weird'. It was because once again, they saw me as a threat.

"It was only that I broke a rule that Ron and Harry even considered me to be a friend of theirs. They did save me but I think afterwards, they probably would have just let me go and been nice but not friends had I not stuck up for them. In fact, it was only when Ginny came to school that I found that I actually had a good friend because as great as Harry and Ron are, they do not replace a good girlfriend."

Draco's eyebrow quirked. "Girlfriend, hey?"

"Oh for God's sake," she groaned as she playfully slapped him across the arm. "You know what I mean!"

He laughed. "Okay I do." He turned serious again. "That was a bit insensitive of me; after all, you did just tell me about your childhood and growing up in the Muggle World. Was it really that bad?"

"Yes, it was."

Draco looked deeply troubled. "And then we said things like 'go back to where you came from' and oh God, called you everything under the sun. I know I apologised for it but now you say that, we really were bloody horrible to you and we didn't even consider what it must have been like to be in the same position. I guess we just assumed that everything was fine and that you had the best of both worlds. Growing up in one then living in another. Not once was there thought for the other person."

"It's okay, Draco," Hermione consoled. "You did apologise, as you said."

"It's not okay. That's the problem with the Wizarding World. We are all too shallow to see that it hasn't been easy for these people to integrate into our society and really, it's not as if they are trying to take over, is it? I mean can you imagine a bunch of 11 year olds taking over the world? It's hardly going to happen. When you think about it, things aren't a great deal different between Muggles and Wizards. Okay, they might be but we are still growing up, trying to find out who we are and finding our place in the world, whether it is Muggle or Wizarding."

"You are right but I don't think you're fellow Slytherins will feel the same."

"Bollocks to them. They all need to wake up to themselves, I think."

Hermione could see that Draco was quite clearly worked up about this. He sat still for a while, breathing heavily and shaking his head. Like before, her heart was not correlating with her head and she soon found herself sliding across on the chair towards him, reaching for his right hand and holding it between both of her own.

"Draco," she uttered softly. "I know you feel guilt over what has happened in the past. Please think of it like that, as being the past. I've gotten over it because I can see that you're being sincere."

Draco looked down at Hermione's hands surrounding his own and sighed. "Okay."

"Good."

They sat quiet for a few minutes, watching the fish as they swam around in the pond. Once again, and perhaps it was because she could see that he wasn't going to, Hermione lifted his arm and wrapped it around her back so that it now rested on her own right arm. Draco started, causing her to stop and wonder if she made a mistake but then she realised that his arm had not moved. Instead, it rested more firmly. She looked up at him to see what he was thinking. He half-smiled, making her grin in response and rest her head on his chest and wrap her other arm around his body. Almost instantaneously, she felt Draco's left arm grasp around her back, drawing her to him in a firm yet gentle embrace.

It did not occur to either of them that this wasn't something that normally happened. Especially given that the last time they were this close, Hermione had quickly put an end to it. But this time, there didn't seem a need to stop. It felt comforting being there in his arms, forgetting the fact that this was Draco Malfoy, pure-blood wizard and Slytherin prince. He didn't seem like that person anymore than she was. Instead, he was a good-hearted and smart teenager who yes, still had a frightfully annoying streak about him but who wouldn't do anything that would put those he held close in danger. That, it seemed, now included Hermione and her family; especially Hermione. She only hoped that he knew that she would never do anything to put him in danger either.

Judging by the look he had just given her, she guessed he did know.

In that moment, all that they were aware of was each other and the fish that surfaced every now and then in the pond.

COMMENTS:

The line's not working again. Just ignore the fact there is no line. Anyway, same deal as usual. Possibly won't update for a while but I'm sure you're getting used to hearing me say this... Won't give the usual drivel, just moreso, hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's pretty full-on, in my opinion.


	30. Breaking The Ice

I'm updating!!! Woooooo!!!! I'm sorry it's taken this long and I hope I answered everyone's questions and comments well enough. For the record, the last couple of chapters (29 and 30 - this one) sent me into a bit of a writer's block period where I wasn't sure if what I wrote needed to be changed. I thought things had moved too quickly and I was thinking that maybe I should change it. But soon enough, I realised that things would happen quicker than I predicted and so it needed to stay. And as I say sometimes, it's easier to let a story write itself with some basis of how you want it to turn out as opposed to thinking up every single chapter.

Also, taking note of one reviewer, towards the last part of this chapter, I think the language between the two improves, and from then on, things are better. Oh yeah, as a sneak peak, in Chapter 32 (I think) we get to see some interaction b/w Ginny, Draco and Hermione. Yay! I love writing Ginny. She's so forthright and troublesome, she's great! AND, I think she's very much like that in the books too, obviously I wouldn't write her like it if she wasn't.

Onto Chapter 30!**  
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**Chapter 30: Breaking the Ice**

It was funny that it was finally Hermione that made the first real move. Draco wasn't sure on why this was the case; all he knew was that he was glad she did. As he lay against the arm rest of the seat, he wondered how on earth fate managed to land him in the spot that he was in. Given he was not a believer of fate he thought his circumstances were pretty good. It was obvious a couple of days ago that it was only a matter of time that something like this would happen but he did not think it would happen quite so soon. He only thanked his lucky stars that it did.

He looked down at the curly-haired girl and smiled. If only his mother could see him now; completely at bliss with the one girl that had proven to be his equal in more ways than one. He was sure that his mother would approve. He didn't know why but it almost seemed like she had seen this coming a long way away, although surely not. He knew that his mother had a knack for picking things before they occurred but it was not something that was predominant in her life. She knew that he was not happy to be sent here initially but she did it anyway. That was for his protection but why not any other Muggle family? It occurred to him that if it was any Muggle family, it would be the one family that he was least likely to spend time with – the Grangers.

Okay, so she may not have seen the romance coming but Draco didn't think that she would be overly surprised. She had never quite approved of Pansy, funnily enough. She thought of her as being far too spoilt for her own good and conceded that she never had a mind of her own. She often told Draco to find a girl who was independent in her thinking but who would challenge him and make him achieve his best. It seemed that she had already someone in mind. Lord knows that she had heard Draco mention Hermione's name often enough, some of those occasions being that he didn't quite need to mention her. Looking back, Draco wondered whether his mother _did_ see something in Hermione a long time before they became friends.

Before he could think about this for too much longer, he saw Hermione stir and he moved his arms to his legs to allow her to sit up properly. She half smiled, in that way that one does when they have been dozing, and put her own hands near his, sending butterflies to fly around Draco's stomach.

"Sorry, my neck was getting sore," she said by way of explanation.

"It's alright, my arm was going to sleep," he retorted playfully, thanking every God that she didn't know how her simple gesture made him feel.

Hermione just slapped his arm, causing his grin to spread more across his face.

"You know," he said casually, still gazing at her with his grey eyes, "I never did tell you why I don't like Gryffindors."

"No, I think we got rather sidetracked, wouldn't you?" she said, grinning back.

"Although I never actually said that I didn't like Gryffindors."

"What do you mean?"

"If I remember correctly, I answered your question with a question."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying you like Gryffindors?"

_You are one mischievous person, Hermione._

"God no! I just mean that Gryffindors aren't all they are cracked up to be."

She sat up. "Okay, I'm going to defend myself here. Why is that?"

"Think about it, you might be known for your bravery, but there have been some moments during the last few years that you needn't have been involved in. I tend to think Gryffindors act before they think which means that they get themselves into some awful predicaments whereas Slytherins will think before they act. How many Slytherins have you seen getting caught up in matters which they don't need to be involved in?"

Hermione frowned, causing Draco to smirk. "I take your lack of an answer to mean that you realise that I'm right?"

"Okay. That is all I will say on that matter. Is there anything else?"

"Hmm." Draco scratched his chin, pondering. "I guess it's just the whole notion that Slytherins and Gryffindors have always had a rivalry to match the best of them. That is my only other one."

"So really you don't hate Gryffindors, you just think that we tend to get into a bit of unnecessary trouble?"

"Probably. Don't get me wrong; I don't want to be a Gryffindor."

"Nor do I a Slytherin!"

"Good, glad that's settled then."

"Great."

They looked at one another for a moment before collapsing in fits of giggles. It wasn't that it was particularly funny in the first place but nonetheless, it took them both quite a few moments before they could compose themselves.

"I don't know about you," Hermione said, "but I could eat a horse."

"Hmm, I was going to say that I could eat a hippogriff and chase the rider but okay, a horse will be fine."

"What's that? Eat a hippogriff and chase the rider, what's that in reference to?"

"Hippogriff racing, you know…" Draco gestured with his hands, as if this would help Hermione know what he was talking about. She shook her head. He sat more upright. "You've lived in the Wizarding World for six years and you don't know hippogriff racing?"

"I've heard of horse racing and the saying of 'eat a _horse_ and chase the rider' but no, not hippogriff racing."

"Good lord, remind me to show you next time. It happens quite frequently, you do know that. In fact, the next major race meeting is happening next month, that's August, isn't it?"

"Um… What's today's date?"

"Geez, I don't know that. What day did we finish at school?"

"I think it was the 26th. Well, that means that that was a Saturday and it's Monday, two weeks later. So, it's the 11th today."

_How the hell did she work that out so damn quick?_

Draco could only look at her in exasperation and mutter, "Okay, well I think it's the 8th of August that is the next hippogriff race meet. I'll ask Mother about it."

Hermione smiled and moved her hands back onto his stomach. Draco caught his breath in his throat and tried desperately hard to control himself. However, he did not need to worry for long because Hermione quickly raised herself up and said, "Draco, you'll be lucky to see your mother over this time, remember?"

It took him a moment to register what she was saying. Suddenly, his face contorted into a grimace and he ran his hands through his hair.

"This is so frustrating!" he shouted. "You get to see your parents all the time but I have to sit here and wait for that prick to come and get me! What about my mother? Why can't she come and see me? What the hell is she doing all this while?"

He knew it was wrong to be going on like this but he couldn't help it. It was true; Hermione was able to see her parents all the time but he could only sit there and not do anything but wait.

"I mean, what does she think she is doing? She hasn't even tried to contact me through Dumbledore!"

Draco was oblivious to Hermione during this moment and did not realise that she was deeply concerned. His breathing was harsh and his anger was boiling. It was bloody difficult to be in this place where yes, everyone was kind and Hermione had proven to be a very good confident but still, his mother was not around and as much as he wished it wouldn't happen, he really missed her presence.

It was not long before he felt two arms entwining around him and a head resting on his chest. How on earth she built up the courage to do this, he did not know but once again, he was very grateful.

"She cares for you, Draco," Hermione whispered in his ear. "She obviously does because she sent you here, knowing that it was the one place that Voldemort wouldn't think to find you. I know I don't know her but it's obvious she does care."

Her words and actions did more to soothe him than any medicinal potion or spell ever would. It suddenly occurred to him that this girl was always going to be there, no matter the circumstances.

_How can I be this lucky? Here is a girl who despised me only a few weeks ago but now wants to be there for me and who obviously likes me as much as I like her. This can't be true._

It only seemed natural to wrap his own arms around her as she was doing to him. They stayed together like that without realising that the hunger that they felt before was worse than ever. They remained silent, lost in each other and not wanting to let go. After a while, Draco pulled back; fear and anger still bubbling somewhere under the surface but at least he was much calmer than before.

"I think we had better eat," he mustered.

"I think so too."

In the kitchen, Draco was still at a bit of a loss as to what had happened outside. If he didn't know any better, they had just shared their first intimate moments together. There wasn't even a kiss involved, aside from that other one before, but funnily enough, it felt so right. How could something be so good yet so simple? Hermione was in his arms only minutes before and it could have been for so much longer except for his stomach giving out. Such a shame, he thought, that it wouldn't just shut up but the grumbles were becoming almost embarrassing. Besides, it was nearly 1:30.

They sat down at the old wooden table and started to eat their leftover smoked chicken pasta. They remained silent as they ate, with the only noise coming from the birds outside and the occasional chink of cutlery on crockery as they reached the bottom of the bowls. In fact, the entire meal was eaten in silence, giving Draco the impression that Hermione was lost in her thoughts as well. He could only assume that she was thinking of the scene outside like he was. At least he hoped she was.

Next thing, Hermione got up from the table and took her bowl to the sink.

"What did you have planned for this afternoon?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, um, I thought maybe I could go outside again, seeing as the weather is good. Or I could do a bit of reading. Why? What are you doing?"

"I wasn't sure. I thought I might continue reading my book, but I thought I would just see what you were doing."

"Oh. Well, this time I'm not going to mind if you want to be outside," he said with a smile.

Hermione looked relieved. "That's good. Well, maybe I will join you but you can do what you wanted to do and I'll just read. So you sure you aren't going to be upset? You aren't just being polite?"

Draco scoffed. "Polite? I know I was brought up to be polite but sometimes it's a stretch. No really, I don't mind."

Hermione looked as though she was about to question what he had just said, but quickly shut her mouth again. "Alright, just so long as I can hold you to this later on."

_Cheeky._

The two of them went back outside to enjoy the sun. Draco resumed his football playing while Hermione sat on the fishpond with the stem-cell research book in her hand. Every now and then, both would look at the other, still trying to believe what had passed between them that morning. Draco felt completely exposed during that time and had it not been for Hermione's calm nature or her obvious attraction, he might well have hidden within himself.

If truth be told, he wouldn't have minded curling up on the seat near the fishpond with her again but thought that it might be moving things rather quickly. Instead, he opted for his football and soon he had immersed himself fully within it. He didn't realise that Hermione was watching him every now and then; such was his concentration on the ball. He also didn't see her move positions so that she was now leaning against the other side of the seat, watching him fully. Her book wasn't quite forgotten but was being read only about half the time.

It was only after another couple of hours when his feet were tiring that he stopped and caught her looking at him. As quick as he saw, she turned away, causing him to smile to himself instead of being embarrassed and wonder how long she had been watching him.

Draco walked back inside and put the football back in its place but went back outside to Hermione.

"Is it interesting?" he asked, indicating the book with his hand.

She looked almost quite shocked to see him out there again however she recovered quickly and responded, "It's quite good actually."

"Do you think you could share a bit of it with me?"

"You want me to go through the entire process of stem-cell technology?"

"It's Muggle technology, isn't it?"

"Well yes, but – "

"So it's something that I think I should learn something about. The bit you told me about yesterday was quite interesting and so I thought that it might pay to learn the rest of it."

Hermione looked slightly sceptical but Draco looked at her honestly. "Please," he added.

She moved her feet further up towards herself as Draco sat on the other end of the seat, watching her.

She spoke about the stem-cell research in a manner which to Draco could have passed for music in his ears. He couldn't understand what had changed since the last time she spoke about any given topic but something had. But now he realised he could sit there and listen to her all day. She was oblivious to him watching her, mistaking his look for one of interest, which of course he was but she did not seem to notice that he was simply looking at her, and seeing all of her expressions pass across her face as she read each page. Her eyes would light up at something that seemed to fascinate her beyond belief, adding things in such as, "Isn't that unbelievable?" or "I can't believe this is a possibility now." Each time she said something like this, Draco smiled and nodded in agreement, not always entirely sure what he was agreeing to, making him curse inwardly that he might have to read a bit of the book when she wasn't around.

Suddenly Hermione looked at her watch and cursed. "I can't believe I've just prattled on about stem-cell research for the last hour. Why didn't you stop me?"

Draco shrugged. "It was interesting and I didn't realise that you'd been talking for that long. It didn't bother me."

"God, it should have. I don't think I could have listened to someone for that long. I just hope I didn't bore you to tears."

"Do I have tears in my eyes?" Draco pointed to his eyes, quirking one eyebrow.

Hermione smiled. "Okay, so you obviously weren't that bored then. Well, now you know more about the Muggle World, I guess. When you catch up with your Mum again she won't know what hit her. All of a sudden she'll have a son who knows more about the Muggle World than some Muggles."

"Really?"

"Yes. Half of the population probably hasn't heard of this type of research because it's only really been made famous by Christopher Reeve."

"Who?"

"He's a famous actor who played a character named Superman and he became a quadriplegic after falling off his horse a couple of years ago."

"He's been campaigning to get this into place?"

"Yes. He believes he will walk again and while personally I don't see that happening, that is his belief and his physiotherapy sessions seem to be doing him a lot of good, as they should be anyway. It's such a pity that magic can't be used but then again, I haven't heard of any antidotes that would fix a spinal chord that is seemingly beyond repair."

As Draco thought about it, his thoughts temporarily distracted from Hermione, he realised that he hadn't heard of any form of medicine that helped quadriplegics either. Although he didn't think he knew of any in the Wizarding World. But surely there was one. There were cures for just about anything including regrowing bones – Potter in their second year was proof of that. However, he remembered that there was such thing as being sent into insanity. The mind's way of obliviating the distressing thing that it did not wish to remember. Draco knew that the spine was a very important part of the human body, being part of the so-called intelligence centre between the brain and the rest of the body. If that was damaged, signals couldn't be sent between limbs and the body wouldn't be able to function as it should. Was it possible for the spinal chord to be damaged beyond repair in the Wizarding World? Draco had always thought that there was a kind of immunity within the Wizarding community with diseases. But then again, he remembered about a case where someone's father's great-uncle died of bowel cancer. So it was possible then, only it wasn't as often as the Muggle World. Perhaps that was why he had thought they had immunity.

More things kept coming into his head – the Avada Kedavra curse being one, the Cruciatus curse being another; if usage of the Cruciatus curse was frequent and long lasting, there were plenty of long-term side effects. The obvious ones were twitching of limbs and fits every now and then for no apparent reason. Then of course there were the emotional scars as well. Okay, there were things in the Wizarding World that did not have cures or ailments for them.

It left him as if he had been winded.

"Draco," Hermione's voice cut in. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick."

"No, I'm alright. I just had a realisation. I always knew that Wizards lived longer than Muggles but I forgot entirely about injuries and medical problems hindering in on longevity. You know something? There aren't cures for everything in the Wizarding World. I can't believe I thought that there was but I dismissed all of the cases of St Mungo's and how many people are in there. It's funny but it's true; there are things that still need cures for them in the Wizarding World."

"Yeah I know. I found that impossible to believe when I first came into the Wizarding World. How was it possible that you could do so many things yet not be able to do others? We can fly if we want to, even turn ourselves invisible so why then can't we help our fellow human beings with some medicine?"

Hermione looked as curious as Draco felt. They both looked at one another in astonishment that the other was thinking much along the same lines as themselves. Suddenly, Draco had a thought.

"Hey, you're doing N.E.W.T. Potions aren't you?" he asked.

Hermione looked interested. "Yeah, why is that?"

"Because I wondered what sort of projects they are going to set us for them. Do you know if we get to choose what we want to do or do we have to do what they want us to do?"

"They will have some there for us to choose from but if we want to do what we want then I think they'll let us do it. I really should know this but it was something that I forgot to find out at the end of the year."

Draco smiled. "I think you can be exempted from not remembering something. You did just find out that I was about to come and stay at your place, didn't you?"

"Yes, true, and that would make anyone groan."

"Hey!"

Hermione laughed. "You're too easy to get a rise out of, you know. Besides, you walked into that one."

"And here I am thinking that things had changed. Well, maybe I should just up and leave then." Although he was grinning as he said it.

"Geez, I hope you're joking."

"Of course I am."

"Good, because I didn't want to have to use my Gryffindor bravery to come and rescue you."

"_You_, come and rescue _me_?" Draco was abashed. "Using your Gryffindor bravery? My God, I won't ever get myself into a position where you need to use your Gryffindor bravery. I think I can manage to stay out of trouble, thanks."

"Really Draco, you do need to lighten up a bit. I know that you like to rub my fur the wrong way but it really is fun to do the same to you. You seem to rise to the occasion incredibly much."

_Oy, now wait a second…_

"Says you who left bruise marks all over me."

Hermione was gobsmacked. "What? I don't recall ever doing such a thing!"

"Ah, two can play at your game, Hermione."

"You!" And she playfully hit Draco on the arm once more.

"See?" he pointed to his arm. "That'll come up black and blue in a minute."

"Oh, it will not!"

"You don't know that."

"Even if it does, I'm sure that you'll get over it soon enough."

"We'll see."

"I know."

Draco only looked at the brown-haired girl with the challenging look on her face sitting beside him. He grinned, causing her to falter slightly in the challenge and sit more upright.

"In all seriousness," he asked after a minute. "What would you like to do for your Potions project?"

Hermione looked slightly sceptical at his sudden change of tone but none-the-less gave a response. "I want to see if there is a way for the mind to overcome its scars."

Draco frowned. "You do realise that generations before you have tried that, don't you?"

"Of course, but I discovered something during a lunch break in one of the books from the Restricted Section of the library."

_Very typical of Hermione but no doubt, interesting._

Draco showed his curiosity. "Go on."

It said that the mind was capable of blocking out the source of pain but what it didn't know was that it was capable of overcoming that barrier."

Draco suddenly had a sense of déjà vû. "This sounds just like that dream I had about Longbottom."

Hermione grinned. "Precisely. Except with your dream, his memory had had a Memory Charm placed on it. The counter for that requires the original wand that performed the spell and/or a very powerful wizard to perform the counter-curse. Not many people are capable of performing it but it has been known to happen before."

"Okay, so what of this counter-curse for a seemingly impossible task? Besides, I thought that the mind, providing people opened up, was already able to overcome the disturbing thought or whatever."

"Well," here, Hermione's face became animated, much to Draco's delight. "What happens is that there is a plant found high up in the Himalayas called the glaubepens lily that has very powerful thought provoking properties. It is found that when someone eats part of the leaf (the leaf being where most of the magical properties belong), a thought in their mind suddenly appears, usually something that the thinker has not remembered for quite some time."

_I wonder where she found this book?_

"Okay, that's got me listening since the literal translation of that is the "double thought" lily. Does it live up to it?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes it does. When the thinker remembers one thing, usually something else will pop into their head later on. Each of these types of thoughts comes in two – the original, most terrifying one and the healing one. So when the original thought renders one scared witless, the one that they usually remember dulls the memory of the pain. Usually it gives the thinker a false sense of security but does not solve the problem. It's usually only when something has been able to trigger the original thought for the thinker that that person overcomes the problem. It might still take a long time to heal but afterwards a person comes out stronger and the better for it."

Draco sat intent, looking at the seriousness on Hermione's face as she explained her project. "I have to admit," he said resignedly. "It's a pretty big project. What made you think about it?"

Hermione hesitated. "You won't laugh?"

"What? Why do you think I will laugh?"

"Because it's nothing to do with me, actually."

"Okay, so who is it for?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Neville."

_Don't tell me she fancies him. Please don't say that, just after everything that has happened._

"Longbottom." It was said more as a statement than anything.

"Yes."

"You fancy him?"

Hermione looked flummoxed. "You can't be serious! After this morning?"

Draco had the grace to blush. "Why else would you do it, then?"

"God, Draco. I know you find this hard to believe but Neville is still one of my friends. And surely you know that his mother and father were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange, _your_ aunt."

"Please!" Draco covered his ears up. "I told Dumbledore not to mention her and now I ask you. She was mad that one, and I know for a fact that my mother would curse a blue streak, something she doesn't do often, if Bellatrix was mentioned to her."

Hermione looked taken aback. "I'm sorry, Draco but you wanted to know."

"That still doesn't explain why you want to use that as your project."

Hermione sighed. "You have no idea how hard it was to witness on Christmas Day a couple of years ago, Neville seeing his parents. They didn't recognise him at all and furthermore, his grandmother was fairly patronising towards him. It would be difficult for anyone but I can't imagine what it must be like for him."

Draco tried to think what it must be like for him. Sure, he never got on with Longbottom at the best of times but he did have to admit that if his own mother suddenly didn't recognise him, it would surely take its toll on him.

"You have a point," he muttered.

"I know that Neville will want to know whether or not it works, this potion. In fact, I can do it for Charms as well because this is a potion, if it works that is, that requires an incantation as well as the actual potion brewing. It's quite complex because I don't know what the incantation is at all and of course, I have no idea whether or not the potion will work for something like that. I can only try and see at the end of the year."

"You don't know the incantation?"

"I have a few possibilities but I'm not 100."

"Hermione, I think you've bitten off more than you can chew."

"No I haven't."

"Yes, I think you have. That's a big task for anyone and remember, there are mediwizards out there who specialise in research and haven't come up with anything."

"Yeah but I can guarantee that they haven't heard of this plant."

Draco scoffed. "What makes you say that?"

"Because the author of the book is still alive and only went over to Nepal last year. The book was one that Snape recommended to me if I wanted to learn more about rare magical plants that could be suited for potions. He said that there were a great many discovered in Nepal that only the local magical community knew about. It was only for the fact that they let this particular wizard into their village because he earned his way into it. They had cultivated the glaubepens lily from one leaf found in a glacier. You see, the leaves hold the seeds and when they drop, they decompose and release the seed. But this plant is only native in Nepal."

"That's a known fact?"

"Yes. He's a Swiss wizard by the name of Augustus Franwar and when he's not touring the world searching for exotic plants, he takes on apprentices in Advanced Herbology, usually in Europe but will accept those from Asia as well."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not actually."

"This is unbelievable, so you're telling me that no one has thought to use this plant or other ones like it yet?"

"I told you, that's because the book is less than eight months old. The only reason why it's in the Restricted Section in the first place is because neither Professor Snape nor Professor Sprout have had a chance to go through it entirely."

"But they entrusted you with it?"

"So it seems. I'm sure they would have done the same for you."

"I'm not sure. Snape probably but Herbology isn't my strongest class."

"But you don't do anything to sabotage that, do you?" Hermione grinned.

Draco couldn't help but smile. "No, of course not." Admittedly, yes, he had done the odd thing in their earlier years to annoy the girls in his class, namely taunting a Blast-Ended Skrewt right near Parvarti Patil when they were supposed to be feeding them during Care of Magical Creatures. "It's just that I've never quite been interested in how to look after plants; only know how they are used. For that reason, I didn't ever really get into Herbology."

"I guess that's fair enough. I've just liked all of my subjects. Maybe it's because I've found them interesting right from the start."

"You can't tell me that you've liked _all_ of your subjects."

"Why, what do you mean?"

"Care of Magical Creatures?"

"What about it?"

"Look, I know you're friends with him but Hagrid's classes weren't exactly what you would call 'normal'. That book in the third year, the one where you had to stroke the spine to open it? It bit me before I had a chance to look at it."

Without warning, Hermione suddenly became quite furious. "If you're going to mention Buckbeak then I don't want to know about it."

_Crap, what have I done?_

Draco was stunned. "What? Where did that come from?"

"It was because of you and your father that Buckbeak had to be executed!"

Knowing what her temperament was like, Draco tried as best as he could to remain somewhat calm, although the nature of the topic was difficult to do this. For starters, he still wasn't entirely sure where her last comment was coming from.

"What's he got to do with anything? Besides which, he didn't get executed, did he? Somehow he managed to escape."

She wasn't calming down. "Not that you seem to care!"

"Hermione, that hippogriff scratched me up pretty badly."

"That's bullshit and you know it! It wasn't half as bad as you made it out to be!"

"Yes it was! His claws contained some sort of poison that made my skin swell. That was the main reason why I had to stay in the Infirmary for a few days."

"Just because Draco Malfoy's skin may have gone slightly abnormal, he _had_ to take the life of an innocent hippogriff. Besides which, _you_ offended him."

Draco knew that she was right with the last comment so he made no attempt to defend himself. Regardless, he didn't like where this was heading. Their intimate moments of that morning seemed a world away and the pleasant demeanour that had surrounded them had suddenly turned quite sour and it was all because they had started talking about school.

_It was bound to happen, I'm sure._

"Besides," she continued on, oblivious to his admission of guilt, "you just wanted to show everyone how much influence your father had. How much _power_ your family could wield."

"Now, that's not fair!" He had had enough of hearing her launch an attack on his family. "Yes, I knew it then that my father could do as I pleased but Hermione, what you're forgetting is that was way before I realised that what I was brought up to believe wasn't what it seemed. Surely _you_ of all people know; I'm _not like_ that anymore!"

Hermione burst out crying, leaving Draco disgusted with what just happened. They had been getting along so well and now this. He thought that they had gotten over their differences with the truce but obviously not. She only looked at him for a moment before disappearing inside, leaving a livid Draco sitting on the seat.

At that moment, the car was heard coming up the drive.

_Talk about being saved by the bell._

He wandered inside and helped Jane with the groceries. The first thing that she noticed was that Draco had come inside by himself to help, with Hermione nowhere in sight. The look on his face was the second giveaway that the two of them had just had an argument. She couldn't help but feel annoyed that this would happen since the last couple of days had shown how they felt about one another. She could only try to understand the situation, knowing what it was like with teenage emotions back in the days. For some reason, it always appeared much worse than what it actually was. One day, she conceded, they would realise this but in that time, she knew that they were in for a long and emotional haul.

Jane sighed and kept her opinions to herself. Perhaps later she would talk to Hermione but thought that it might be best to leave it for a moment. She thought that Robert could perhaps talk to Draco, given their growing amity towards one another. She also knew that with Draco, she was not likely to get a direct response out of him but thought that Robert, being of the male variety, would have far more success and would know what to say.

"Where did you want these, Jane?" Draco asked, his voice slightly strained. He had no idea that Jane knew what had just gone on and tried his best to hide the fact that anything did happen.

"I'll show you. Most of it can go in the pantry but there are a few fridge items that need putting in there. You'll soon realise what, though."

He was half-way through unpacking the groceries when something very good on the nose could be detected. He sniffed, smelling melted cheese and meat.

"What's that smell?" he asked.

"That's pizza. Have you had that before?"

"I know it's Italian but I can't say that I've ever really had it. I'm guessing I will be having it though."

"You will. I knew that I'd be too late home to cook so I thought that I would just buy a couple of pizzas. There's nothing wrong with that every now and then." Jane smiled.

Draco grinned, not quite forgetting the argument from before but just thinking about the pizza. "I look forward to it."

They put the rest of the groceries away and set the table for dinner. Hermione soon came down the stairs; an air of frustration surrounding her but at least she had calmed down from before. Draco didn't know what to say and from the look on Hermione's face, she didn't know either but they were both saved the trouble because Robert arrived home shortly after.

"Hello all!" he announced to the room whilst taking his briefcase on-route to the study.

"Hi, darling," Jane said as gave him a quick kiss.

"Must put this away then come back for dinner. It smells good, whatever it is."

"It's only pizza; I didn't have time to make anything so I thought that it would make do for a good treat."

Robert reminisced. "Ah, pizza, helped me through a lot of hard years of study, let me tell you now."

Draco was unsure of what he meant by that. "Why is that?" he asked.

"You've no idea how much of a toll studying and living by yourself takes. For those students who were able to live at home, they only had to worry about uni or other extra-curricular activities. For those like Jane or I, we had to look after ourselves as well as complete our studies. It was tough and you didn't always have time for proper meals. There was a lot of take-away and pasta meals because it was easier to do that and keep studying as opposed to stopping and then cooking. Of course, it was always nice to eat a home-cooked meal when I could."

"Are you serious?"

"For sure. Although, I did try to cook at least twice a week. I often made things that I could freeze so that I could just reheat them and eat them that way."

Draco couldn't think of anything to say so opted for the silent response. Robert took notice of this and left the conversation at that. During all of this, Hermione was rather quiet but still sat listening in on what her father was saying. She quickly sat down when she realised that the conversation had finished and didn't say a word to anyone as she did so. Draco didn't know what else to do either except to sit down on the opposite side while Jane waited for Robert to return his briefcase to the study before she took the pizzas back out of the oven.

The pizzas went down quite well with the fair-haired teenager, not remembering the last time he indulged in such a meal. He could see himself eating more of these frisbee-lookalike things, especially if they were covered in the same ingredients as the one he had just eaten. Not surprisingly, Jane had opted for two supreme pizzas for the boys and a hawaiian for herself and Hermione. He noticed that Hermione kept her head down all throughout the meal but didn't push it. He assumed that she would still be thinking about what had happened between them, much like he was.

However, Robert kept the tone of the meal from reaching any form of excessive tensile levels due to some interesting incidents that occurred at his surgery that day.

"God, you should have seen it. I don't think I've ever seen a grown man put up a physical fight because I was going to put the drill into his mouth. I must admit; his teeth were quite good bar that one so I no doubt that he would never have had to use it."

"Quite frankly, I wouldn't want it either," Draco responded. "I don't even know what it is and I don't want it."

"Ah yes. It doesn't help that we don't have magic but we've managed without it good enough." Robert smiled, causing Draco to go bright red with embarrassment. He was always good at putting his foot in it.

"I'm sorry, Draco," Robert said after seeing Draco's reaction. "That was rather rude of me. The drill isn't as bad as what people make it out to be. There are two that I use; one is fast, the other is slow. This means that the fast drill actually causes less vibration on your teeth than the slow one but depending on the job, either one is used. If you go for a check-up, you won't need the drill. We only use it if there is a problem with a tooth, or excess plaque attacks it. It's just that people panic when they have something put into their mouth by someone else because they think that they will choke. It's just something that you need to get used to."

"Oh right. So how big is it?"

"Not that big. The head is only about a quarter of the size of an ordinary tooth brush, even less than."

"Okay. I can't say that I've ever had problems with mine but I guess my mother made me take this potion when I was little. She said it was to prevent 'bad things', in her words, happen to my teeth. I think it had fluoride in it, if that makes sense."

"Yes, that does. That's one of the key ingredients of toothpaste nowadays."

"We still clean our teeth, though. It was only while I was growing up that I had to take it."

"That's an interesting concept. I guess we do have tablets that you can take but I keep forgetting that there are other ways." Robert smiled, picking up the last piece of his pizza and stuffing it in his mouth.

"Of course," he continued on after finishing his mouthful. "This does nothing for your teeth, but it is good every now and then."

Afterwards, Hermione retired to her room rather quickly. Draco had helped her to tidy the kitchen but they did not speak a word to each other. He looked at the back of her as she left the room and did not notice the two adults watch his gaze. Nor did he see them exchange thoughts on the matter.

Draco decided that he should just let Hermione cool down before approaching her. In the meantime, he went upstairs to his room, picked his book up and continued reading.

Half an hour later, he heard a knock at the door.

"Draco?" Robert's voice was heard. "Are you still awake?"

_Hmm, this hasn't happened before._

"Yeah," he replied. "The door's open."

Robert opened the door and let himself in. He walked straight to the bean bag and sat down in it. Two seconds later, he got back up, turned around and stared down hard at it in astonishment.

"Surely you couldn't have packed this in your trunk."

Draco blushed. He forgot that he'd conjured up the bean bag two weeks ago after noting that there was no desk in his room. He had since come to think of his room as home and the thought never passed his mind.

"Um, no, I couldn't. I'm sorry, Robert, I didn't tell you. I conjured it up."

Robert frowned. "I thought you weren't allowed to do magic over summer."

"You're not. But wandless magic is untraceable. It's only the wand that they can track when performing magic."

"Really? You know wandless magic?"

"I can't say I know a lot. I know some. My mother taught me most of what I know and my father taught me the rest, but they only taught me what they teach in class."

"That's amazing." Robert was quite surprised. "You must be one of the few your age that knows wandless magic."

Draco smiled, albeit briefly. "Yes, I probably would be."

"I hear it's quite hard."

"It was pretty difficult to master the real basics but after establishing those, the rest kind of just came."

"That'll look really good on your resume, you know. I know I don't really know about magic but Hermione has told me often enough how hard wandless magic is."

Ah yes, Hermione. He had forgotten about her for the briefest of moments and suddenly it all made sense as to Robert's reason for his visit. Of course, he should have realised that that was the reason but Robert's reaction to the bean bag was enough to distract him.

Sensing his change of mood, Robert cut right to the chase.

"There's no point lying, Draco. I didn't come in here for small talk, although it was bloody interesting, not like usual small talk. Bloody chit chat, the most frustrating thing at a dinner party known to man."

Draco grinned, knowing exactly what he was talking about, given the number of dinner parties he had had to endure during the years.

Robert leant up against the table in front of the window. "Sorry, sidetracked again. Look, you know the reasons for my coming up here, I'm sure. Jane and I realise that despite whatever happened in the past, right now you and Hermione've been able to look past all that and become close friends. I won't lie; I know there's something more to it. However, please remember that she is our only child and we don't want anything to happen to her."

Draco realised that he was listening to his first "look after her" speech. It wasn't entirely comfortable, although he understood Robert's reasoning for saying it. Exactly what he was telling him now.

Robert continued. "At the same time, Draco, we've come to know you a lot more and I'm sure I can say that we wouldn't expect anything less of you than to take care of our daughter."

"I'm glad you know that, Robert. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, not now, not after these last few weeks."

"You're a good kid, Draco. Don't ever let anything change that."

Draco was momentarily speechless; he couldn't remember anyone ever saying that to him. Robert only smiled in response.

It seemed that everything was sorted. Robert made to stand up straight but paused mid-way. "I guess I don't need to tell you to just keep in mind that her mood can change quite quickly, seemingly without any reason. Unfortunately, she gets that from her mother."

Draco smiled. "No, you probably don't. I've seen it a few times but then again, I've never been good with keeping my own in check. I guess that's what happened this last time."

"It happens, I know that. More often than not, I've had a go back if I've heard Jane argue too many times or if something's just really bothered me. Sometimes you can't help but argue back."

"I've always been told to stand up for my beliefs so I guess if anyone counters them, I'm always prepared to fight."

"Not a bad quality, I agree. I was like that too at your age. Always getting into disputes about anything really. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Yes, people still argue but it is in our nature to do so.

"Ah Draco, I know you won't want me to say this, but you're still young. You'll realise that arguments aren't the end of the world and that even if you've just had a pretty heated argument, the next minute you could be best friends again. Give her time and she'll come around."

Draco paused in reflection. "Robert," he said after a minute. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You've never told me to stay away from Hermione. Not even at the start of these holidays. Why is that?"

Robert grinned. "To be honest, I never thought that anything would happen."

"Are you for real? So you never saw me as having an interest in Hermione?"

"Not in the romantic sense of the word, no. Needless to say when Jane told me a week ago, it took me quite by surprise."

"A week ago? She saw it that long ago?"

"She's a woman, Draco. They seem to have a knack for these things. When she told me, I had to do a bit of rethinking but I could see that you weren't a bad sort. You might have had it a bit rough sometimes but overall, you were still a good kid. The interest in our world was something that I guess took me by surprise at first but it was really good to see that you had an interest in it. You were embracing this new life instead of turning your back on it because it wasn't what you were used to. I know it's been hard for you but you're doing well so far. You've only got to keep doing what you've been doing and you'll be fine."

"Thanks, Robert. And thanks for the words of advice, too."

"Anytime. Just remember what I said about the arguments."

"I will."

By this stage, Robert had made his way over to the door and had it open. "Great. Well, I better let you get back to whatever you were doing because I need to write a few things up before bedtime."

"I wasn't doing much, just reading."

"Nothing wrong with that. Good night, Draco."

"Night, Robert."

Robert exited the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Draco to think about what had been said between them.

_Wow_, he thought. _He's just given me his blessing to see Hermione._

Not only that, but Draco had been able to ask Robert the one question that had bothered him for a few days now.

_And he's right; we always seem to be able to talk to each other after a few hours._

He picked up the book at the page where he left it and continued to read for a few more minutes.

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**Comments:**

Smoked chicken pasta - man, this stuff is good. And so basic to make too! If you live by yourself or even if you just want another pasta meal then try this one.

Seem's slightly odd to mention Christopher Reeve in here given that he's died in the time since.

The glaubepens lily - "glauben" is "to think" in German and "penser" is the same again in French. Hence I guess a better translation is the think-think lily, or double thought lily.

Robert's mention of student life - ah yes, the life of a uni student. How many two-minute noodles do you think you can eat? Actually, I rarely eat them and when I do, it's usually because I've really wanted a packet or because it's a very easy meal. The Mi-Goreng ones, not the Maggi ones. I don't eat a lot of take-away either; I usually try to cook all of my meals and if that's not possible, usually there's a container of leftovers in the freezer from another night that's easy enough to cook up.

Not being allowed to do wandless magic - Just to keep in line with the rest of the story – I'd said at one point that they couldn't cos I forgot, if you were of age, that you can. So just for the basis of this story, no magic is allowed over summer.

Wandless magic untraceable - according to some fics it is only the wand that is traced to the spell; I think there is no real mention in JK's books, although admittedly Dobby performs the hovering spell and Harry cops the blame. But for a while now I had this theory that Draco would use a bit of wandless magic and show that even though Hermione is top student, he still has a few things over her – Quidditch, some history of the Wizarding World, and wandless magic.

Well, keep the reviews coming if you feel the need to say something, otherwise enjoy the reading and I hope that I might update the next chapter sooner... ;-)


	31. Fears

Thank God, FF . net has decided to upload my next chapter... Hope you like!**  
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**Chapter 31: Fears**

Hermione was still upset when she returned to her room. Upset because she couldn't believe that she had just had another argument with Draco. Looking back, she was even more upset that it was her who started it. She kept trying to think of ways that it was his fault.

_It takes two to tango, remember._

She desperately wanted to go and apologise but couldn't bring herself to do it. It might have had something to do with what had passed between them that morning because it had felt so good that to then have it turn sour was quite distressing. She thought that she should probably try to get to sleep but couldn't help but hear their words circulate her head again and again.

_I'll apologise in the morning, I have to._

It suddenly occurred to her what tomorrow was; the day of the next meeting. It wouldn't be Dumbledore who was coming for them this time but Mr and Mrs Weasley. Hermione loved them dearly but given her discoveries about the two of them she didn't feel quite so comfortable with the idea that they were coming to her home. She thought that Arthur would point at _everything _in her house and that Molly would try to exchange household tips with her mother. It also dawned on her that Draco didn't really get along too well with any Weasley, not just Ron. The last thought that hit her was the very reason why they had to go back there. Draco was required to go there in response to the dream he had and no doubt there was probably also some more plans needed to be made in regards to him.

She felt awful that he would have to put up with everyone's cruel faces staring at him as if he wasn't one of them. She could feel tears well up into her eyes once more. Desperately, she managed to keep them at bay but felt that there was only one thing she could do.

She exited her room and luckily, it was clear that everyone had gone to bed. Well, almost everyone. Draco's light was still on, despite it being almost eleven.

She knocked lightly.

"It's open," she heard his voice call from behind it.

She opened it up to see him tucked up in bed reading. He looked at her with mild amusement; nothing of the anger and quiet of that afternoon. It disturbed her somewhat, given that she had prepared herself to face what she thought he would be feeling.

Suddenly, the huge flood of tears that were beneath the surface before welled up into her eyes and she burst out crying. Draco rushed to put his book down and come over, which only made it worse, given that she still felt so guilty after their fight.

He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him, not realising that his words of comfort were having the opposite effect. Finally, Hermione pulled apart from him.

"Why are you being so nice after what I did to you this afternoon?" She asked, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

Draco's voice was soft. "It was an argument, Hermione, nothing more. And anyway, it wasn't just you. It was me as well."

"No it wasn't. I was the one who started up the argument because it got onto Care of Magical Creatures and I thought that you were going to talk about Buckbeak but now I realise that you were probably going to let it go and I flew off the handle. I kept having a go at you, really having a go at you and you were obviously trying to tell me from your point of view what it was like and I wouldn't listen."

"It's alright, really. You're obviously sorry and I am too. It's okay."

"Oh Draco!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "And the meeting is tomorrow and I couldn't bear the thought that you might have thought that you wouldn't have my support. You do!"

Draco was slightly taken back by her enthusiasm but returned the gesture. "I appreciate it. I'm glad I have your support in this. Honestly, I'd forgotten about the meeting until you just mentioned it. I would have woken up with a rather unpleasant surprise had I not known."

"I'll be with you the whole time."

"I know."

"Just so long as you do."

"Don't worry, I'm aware of it."

Hermione felt his hands stroke her hair once more but this time, it had the desired effect. She started to calm down as he continued to soothe her with his voice, now just a whisper, and she felt safe in his hands, even though it was originally meant to be her approaching him about tomorrow. She couldn't help it; it seemed that he was taking on the role of comforter, although she didn't have the energy to stop him. It was nice to simply be held by him and to have his arms wrapped protectively around her.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you, Draco," she muttered into his shoulder.

Draco pulled her closer towards him and it was all Hermione could do not to just lose herself within him. "I feel the same about you, too."

"Whatever is said tomorrow, I'll make sure that whatever plans they make that involve you, involve me as well. I don't care what Harry or Ron say, I'll do it anyway. They've known me long enough that they won't try to stop me."

She could feel, rather than hear Draco laugh. "I don't think I'd chance it, either."

Hermione grinned, knowing that Draco had seen enough of her the last couple of weeks to know her moods from a mile away.

It was then that she felt him relinquish his hold on her so that his arms were now resting on her waist. She still had her head down but she saw one of his hands move upwards towards her face. His index finger rested just under her chin and gently nudged it upwards, allowing him to be able to look into her face. It was quite intimate standing here so close to Draco in this position, especially with his hands where they were and the look that he was giving her. His grey eyes were looking at her intently and his breathing was shallow. It was then that he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her gently and this time, she felt absolutely no need to pull away. God, how different from the kiss he gave her this morning! There was no ferocity or spite involved and it was done in the most gentle and chaste way possible, as if he were being careful not to disturb the peace.

_Oh my God, __I can't think of anywhere else I want to be right now._

He pulled back just enough to see the effect the kiss had had on her. She looked into his eyes and saw the desire right beneath the surface. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she anticipated what he would do next. What he did was reach up with both hands and cup her face, then bend his head and kiss her again; this time more passionately.

Hermione grasped him closer to her to deepen the kiss and Draco reached back around her back and embraced her. Each time their tongues touched, it sent a pulse right through her. Needless to say, this boy could kiss. There was none of the teenager tonsil tickling that usually occurred with young and inexperienced kissers, nor was there any 'trying to swallow the other wholly'. It was as intimate as it could possibly get, and it only got better as the time went on.

Hermione could feel a gentle tug on her waist as Draco guided her back to his bed. He sat down on the edge and they pulled apart briefly, but they never lost eye contact. She sat down beside him but pulled herself further up towards the head of the bed then lay down on the pillows. Draco gave a small grin; obviously this was not what he had in mind but was not going to complain. He moved towards her, raking a piece of hair away from his face as he did so.

_God, does he know how hot he looks when he does that?_

He leant over her, ready to resume the kissing again, but then suddenly stopped.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What? What do you mean?" Hermione wasn't sure what she'd done to make him stop.

"Hermione, don't get me wrong; I would love to keep going but I have to know one thing."

There was something in his voice, a sense of urgency, that told her what it was that he was about to ask. Still, she said, "What's that?"

"Would this be your first time?"

She hesitated, not sure on what to say. It was true; she was a virgin but not because she was too scared to. If things had have progressed with Victor, she was sure that she would have had sex with him. As it was, the long distance between them was too hard to maintain any kind of sexual relationship and so they called it off.

"It is, isn't it?" he said, the worry starting to become more obvious.

_Damn, I must have waited too long to respond._

She sighed. "Yes, it was going to be. Why?"

It was Draco's turn to hesitate. "Well, I'm not."

"Is that a big issue?"

"It kind of is."

"How?"

"I've never done it with a virgin before."

"Oh. Well, what are you worried about? Are you afraid that you'll hurt me?"

"To be honest, yes. I don't think I could stand that."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him. "Draco, I'm not scared. I know that it's to happen one day or another and if circumstances were different in previous years, I wouldn't be one now."

"I just didn't realise that you never had sex with Weasley."

"I wasn't exactly with Ron for what one would call a long term relationship. I know it's going to hurt for the first couple of times, but I guess the real reason why I haven't had sex yet is because I didn't ever feel the desire to with Ron, not like now."

Draco's eyes lit up. "You're saying you do with me?"

"God, yes. You've really no idea."

"No," he said, a cheeky grin appearing on his lips. "I think I do."

He bent down and kissed her again, making every one of her senses take notice. She could feel his hands brushing her stomach and the tops of her legs, somehow finding every sensitive spot there was. He soon shifted his attention to her neck, making sure that there wasn't a single tingly spot left out.

_My God! He knows how to make a girl feel like a woman. How does he do this?_

At some point between nuzzling her neck and kissing her lips, he had managed to wrap one of her legs around him so that he was now running his hands down the full length of her body, making her arch up for more. She could feel him pressing into her, knowing that he wanted this more than anything else as well. However, after a while he pulled back rather reluctantly.

"I'm so sorry. Fuck me, that was hard to do," he exclaimed breathlessly. "But I stand by what I said. I still wouldn't feel too comfortable right at this moment to put you in that position. That's not to say it won't happen. I think we've both shown that we won't go turning our backs on one another again, and I think we should just savour the fact that we've made the first move."

It was probably the smartest decision that could have been made. Instead of feeling let down, Hermione felt like she was floating in the clouds. They weren't going to go any further that night but Draco's words told her that he didn't want it to be a once-off. In fact, it was pretty obvious to her without him even saying anything that he didn't want it to be a once off. Nothing could have contented her more than to know that. She knew straight after their argument that afternoon that she loved him and it was now quite obvious that Draco felt much the same about her, or at least felt very, very strongly for her. Very few teenage blokes would stop themselves from having sex if they were up to it, and it was quite clear that he was.

"I think we should too," she whispered, letting him rest his head on her chest as she ran her fingers up and down his back and neck.

It wasn't long before she could feel herself start to get sleepy. It had been a long day, very emotional but very satisfying none-the-less and one that she was sure that she would not forget for a long time. They knew so much more about each other than they had and not only that, they finally, finally got over their own self-consciousness to be in the position that they were in now.

Draco's breathing was getting steadier and steadier until it finally settled into a rhythm. Not long afterwards, however, he jerked himself awake and looked up at Hermione.

"Hey sleepy," she muttered, grinning at him.

He smiled back. "How about we actually go to sleep properly? I'm pretty certain your arm will get stiff from me lying on it and my neck will probably be a bit sore later, too."

"That's not a bad idea."

They pulled the covers back and both got in underneath them. As they lay down, Draco tenderly wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled against him.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered into her ear.

"Goodnight, Draco," she whispered back.

It didn't take either one of them long to drop off to sleep. However, before Draco did, and unbeknownst to Hermione, he had lifted his head to watch her as she slept. She was also unaware of the knot in his chest that arose at that moment, telling him that this was the first real love of his young life. If she had have seen his face then, it would have told her all of this. Yet she slept on, reliving everything that had happened that night between them in her dreams. Shortly afterwards, Draco laid his head back down on the pillow, vowing that he would never let anything happen to the girl lying beside him, before finally drifting off to sleep.


	32. Back to 12 Grimmauld Place

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It's an update!

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**Chapter 32:**** Back to 12 Grimmauld Place**

Draco woke up the next morning to the sweet smell of roses and for a minute assumed he was back at Château de Malfoi. However, he soon realised that there was movement beside him and that there was a girl, not just any girl, but Hermione, lying beside him.

_So last night wasn't a strange dream, after all._

She rolled over to face him and smiled. "Morning," she muttered.

Draco smiled back and bent down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Morning," he whispered back.

"You know what today is, don't you?"

"It never quite left my mind."

"I'll be with you, of course."

"I know that. And for the record, I'll try to be civil towards Potter and Weasel."

Hermione looked shocked for a moment, not sure of what to make of it, probably. "Oh, really?"

"Well, yeah. You did say that you'd be there for me and so I figure that I probably should try to hold my end of the bargain up as well."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "Are you sure there's no other reason for this?"

Draco put on a look of mock-innocence. "Why would there be?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I just wasn't expecting you to say that."

"Well, I did say I would and I won't go back on my word, but I can't wait to see their faces when they see me not throwing insults at them. I know they'll think I've gone mad, or something."

Hermione laughed. "I knew there was another reason, you are a Slytherin after all!"

Draco grabbed her and tugged her towards him. "Proud of it, too."

She reached behind his head and pulled him closer to kiss him. They were both lost in one another for a few moments when Hermione suddenly pulled back.

"What time is it?" she asked, slightly worried.

Draco looked at his watch. "It's 9:30. What time was Mrs Weasley supposed to come here?"

"I think around 10:30. I'm surprised Mum and Dad didn't say anything."

"You know, that's actually the second time you've stayed in my room. How come they haven't said anything?"

"I completely forgot about that. I've absolutely no idea. I know they know about us, but it's still something I would have thought that they would have had an opinion about."

"Yeah." They sat silent for a minute, before Draco heaved himself up. "We probably better get ready then if she's coming at 10:30."

"True."

He kissed her softly on the lips once more and then got up off the bed. They left the room together and Hermione went back to her room and Draco to the bathroom.

While Draco was soaking under the hot shower, he thought about his night. He had forced himself off Hermione when she had wanted him to continue but he knew that it was the right decision. Yet his body was telling him otherwise, much to his chagrin. However, it was obvious that it would happen and he only wanted to make sure that when it did it was done properly.

He had a shave and did his hair. He had forgotten to take clothes into the bathroom with him so he wrapped a towel around himself and went back to his room. On the way, he met Hermione as she was about to enter the bathroom.

"My God, don't let your hand slip," she said, smiling. "You don't want a repeat of last night, do you?"

He looked down at his hand holding the towel. It had slipped ever so slightly from where it was. _Hmm…_ "If you're up for it," he returned.

She laughed and shook her head. "We have to go to the meeting, otherwise I'd consider it."

"Yes, I know."

She moved to go past him into the bathroom but before she got past, he grabbed her around the waist with his free hand and pulled her towards him. He looked her seriously in the eyes before placing his mouth on hers and kissing her.

After pulling back, he muttered, "Surely one kiss isn't much to ask."

"No, not when it's like that it's not."

He grinned, watching her as he did so. "I should let you have that shower," he said.

"Good, I was starting to think that I wasn't gonna get there after that."

"You will, don't worry. I'll see you soon."

"Alright then."

He left her to herself and went into his room. God! He couldn't get her out of his head. How he was supposed to concentrate on the meeting was beyond him. What he did know was that he couldn't wait to show Potter and Weasley just who he was with. Not to use Hermione as an item because he thought of her as nothing of the sort but oh, what joy it would be to rub it in their faces.

Draco went downstairs with a newfound grin on his face and went and made himself some breakfast. Jane was there but was soon about to leave when she noticed him enter.

"So, I take it you patched things up then with Hermione?" she asked.

"You could say that," he mumbled, not sure how to approach Jane now that things had been more than 'patched up'.

He didn't have to worry; Jane laughed and simply said, "Look after her, will you? And good luck with today."

He looked at her in utter perplexity; how on earth did she know what had happened?

Jane said nothing but smiled and left the house.

Robert was nowhere to be seen yet was still somewhere in the house, judging by the sounds coming from the study.

"Where the bloody hell is my briefcase?" he could be heard yelling to himself. "What in Christ's name did she do with it?"

"Who, Robert?" Draco found himself asking out aloud.

"Jane, I swear she moved my briefcase yesterday when she cleaned up in here. Do you mind it if you give me a hand?"

Just as he was about to answer, the front gate chimed.

"Shit, Draco, that'll be Molly, I assume. Do you think you could answer her for me? Just push the intercom button beside the fridge and the gate will open for her."

"Okay."

Minutes later, a knock was on the door. Since Robert was still looking for his briefcase and Hermione was nowhere to be seen, it left Draco with no choice but to answer it.

He opened the door to see Mrs. Weasley in her usual attire of kitchen apron and hand-knitted cardigan.

"Hello, dear," she said upon arrival. "I wasn't expecting you to answer the door. Is Hermione about?"

"Ah, yeah but she's still getting ready. I didn't think you were going to be here so early, actually."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I know. I am a bit early but I thought it best to be sure you made it on time. Have her parents left as well?"

It was a bit hard for Draco to talk to Mrs. Weasley since normally speaking, he wouldn't speak to Weasal but in truthfulness, he had never spoken face to face with any Weasley other than him. He was actually finding the experience not as bad as he would have previously thought.

"No, Robert is still here."

"Is that you, Molly?"

Mrs Weasley entered the kitchen. "Hello Robert. How are you?"

Robert entered from the study and shook her hand warmly. "I'm good and yourself? You're early."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I know. Can't be too casual nowadays. Are you alright? You seem a bit flustered."

"Well, I can't find my briefcase and I know it was in my study yesterday."

"You don't mind if I perform a bit of magic, do you? I could find it in two seconds."

"Actually, that would be handy because I'm going to be late otherwise."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and pulled out her wand from a fold in her dress. "That's fine. _Accio briefcase_!"

After a couple of seconds, a crash could be heard from a cupboard in the study and suddenly at her feet was Robert's briefcase.

"I'll have to sort out that mess later on. Thanks so much, Molly. I tell you, that magic's handy, isn't it?"

"It has its uses, true."

"Well, I must be off, goodbye and good luck."

"Bye, Robert," Draco said, not sure on how to talk to Mrs. Weasley now that he was alone with her in the Grangers' kitchen.

"Well, Draco dear, are you nearly ready?" she asked him.

"Um, not quite. I just need to finish breakfast and clean my teeth."

"Okay then. Well, what's Hermione doing?"

He looked at her and smiled at the mention of Hermione's name. "She'll be down soon. She's still getting ready."

Draco missed the look that crossed Mrs. Weasley's face for the briefest of moments but it was very obvious to her that there was something going on between the two of them. It was not anything to do with what he said but how he said it. She first noticed it at the meeting when Hermione openly showed support for him. This time, she saw his feelings towards her. She could not help but wonder what would bring the two of them together when they were from such very different families however, she could not fault him. He might have still had a certain aristocratic way about him but then again, he was still a Malfoy. But at the same time, he was nothing like his father. She had never really known Narcissa Malfoy but from things that she had picked up in the months since Lucius' incarceration, she had the feeling that he turned out more like his mother.

Of course, she didn't forget the rivalry between himself and Harry and Ron. But she could also see that despite everything that had happened between the three boys, it was nothing more than teenage rivalries that all three will learn to get over. Yet it was still strange to hear Draco Malfoy talk about Hermione Granger, a Muggle-born, with such an affectionate tone of voice.

"Very well. I apologise for this but I'm not used to Muggle technology. Do you think you could boil the kettle for me, dear? The trip was a bit of a long one. Don't worry about making it; I can do that but I just don't know how to boil these fandangled ec-lek-i-tris-ical kettles."

Draco covered his laugh with a cough, knowing that it was rude to laugh openly at Mrs. Weasley's ignorance at the pronunciation of the word 'electricity'.

"Sure." He got up and put the kettle on, showing Mrs. Weasley where the cups and sugar were. He'd left the milk out when he made himself some cereal.

"Ah, this is better. How have you been settling in, Draco? I can't imagine it must have been easy for you to live here."

He wasn't exactly surprised by the question but given the last day, was unsure on how to answer it. He finally opted for the truth.

"It was hard at first but the Grangers made a real effort to make things easier for me."

"And Hermione?"

"Hermione as well."

"She's a very good person."

He briefly forgot who he was talking to and was lost in her words and the memories of the last couple of weeks. Everything from their arguments to the day they went shopping and the nearly kiss in her bedroom to getting to know one another in the study and then finally their intimate moments of yesterday and the night before.

"Yes," he smiled. "She certainly is."

Mrs. Weasley smiled, unbeknownst to Draco and obviously satisfied with the answers he gave.

It was then that Hermione made her arrival. She had dressed herself up a little more than usual, much like the time that the two of them went shopping with Jane.

"Hermione, dear, you look lovely!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Draco couldn't put it any better, although he might have used a few more words that he was sure Mrs. Weasley would not.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione grinned. "What did you have for breakfast, Draco?" she directed to him.

"I just had cereal," he answered.

She smiled again and simply responded, "That sounds like a good idea as well. I can't be bothered with tea and toast this morning."

Mrs. Weasley kept quiet since she could recognise a conversation to stay out of when she saw one. Instead, she decided to talk about the forthcoming meeting.

"Have you been told anything of what is to happen today?" she asked.

"No, we haven't. We were only told to wait until today," Hermione answered.

"I thought as much. Well, Dumbledore told me to tell you a few details that we were briefed on last night."

Draco had started to push his chair back to get up from the table but at the last comment, decided to stay and listen.

"Peasegood's flat was investigated by Arthur and Kingsley Shacklebolt and Shacklebolt placed a powerful Proteus charm on the house. We will not know whether it's done its job or not. It was decided by Peasegood to stay at his flat to discourage Voldemort from thinking that there has been a leak in his sources. When Peasegood said this, we could see the logic in his words but it also made things a bit worrisome since he volunteered to so easily. Without his knowledge, Arthur placed an Extendable Ear under an Obscurantus charm just outside his door and linked it in with another Extendable Ear located at Grimmauld Place. This way, we will know whether Peasegood is telling the truth.

"So for the purposes of today, we will know what has been said and then whether or not Draco's dream can be taken seriously. We do know that a Ministry Official will be attacked, it is just a matter of when."

Draco hesitated before responding. "So," he said after a few moments, "If my dream is true, then what of it?"

"Then any other dream you have like it will be recounted to the Order as soon as you can let Dumbledore know. In other words, as soon as they happen, you're to notify him straightaway."

"Great."

"It is very important though, you realise that?"

"Yeah, it's just…" Draco paused. He didn't exactly want to tell Mrs. Weasley that he was scared out of his wits at the last dream. "It's just that I'm not sure whether they'll be of any help."

"Nonsense, dear, it has been something that the Order has not been sure of before. At least now we have a lead, even if it doesn't go anywhere. No stone left unturned, as they say."

"I guess."

"And if his information isn't correct?" Hermione asked, having been quiet throughout this exchange.

"Then we are back where we started, with the exception of the knowledge that someone from the Ministry will be attacked," Mrs. Weasley answered.

"Okay then."

There was a long moment where nothing was said from any of them. It was Draco who finally broke the silence.

"I really should clean my teeth."

"I need to clean up here a bit," Hermione said after.

"Very well. We can leave as soon as you've done what you need to," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"That'd be good. The sooner we leave the sooner we get back," Draco muttered.

"If no one else's late, of course."

Draco scowled but left the kitchen. He wasn't sure on how to approach today but he knew that at least he had one person's (possibly two) support. That was more than enough.

He went upstairs to the bathroom to clean his teeth and give himself a once-over. At last, he was ready to go.

He met Hermione on the landing. She looked behind her to see if Mrs. Weasley could see. Happy with her answer, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't worry," she whispered in his ear. "No matter what happens, I'm here."

"Thanks, I know."

He pulled back enough to have a look at her before planting a kiss on her lips. She looked sheepish and quickly whispered, "Let me clean my teeth first."

Draco laughed, "I'm not fussed."

"But I've eaten cereal."

He kept laughing and let her pass. She looked back at him as she entered the bathroom then, with a cheeky grin, she shut the door, leaving him on the landing alone.

He wandered back downstairs to Mrs. Weasley. "She won't be long," he said.

"That's fine. We are early, after all," she replied.

Not long afterwards, Hermione came back down the stairs. "I'm ready if you both are," she said.

"Well then, I think we can go," Mrs Weasley responded.

They wandered outside the house and Hermione turned back towards it and locked it with her key.

"I've been given a portkey to use instead of trying to Apparate all three of us," Mrs Weasley continued, "but that shouldn't delay our travel by much."

The portkey was in the form of a rusty gear, something typically found in a Muggle scrapyard. Draco screwed his nose up at it but knew that he would have to touch it sooner or later.

They all placed a finger on the gear until 10:45 approached. At that moment, Draco felt the familiar lurch of the portkey taking off and pulling him towards their destination. They flew fast over countryside and towns until they approached London's North and landed in front of number 10 Grimmauld Place. Mrs Weasley muttered a few words and numbers 10 and 14 squeezed out of the way to allow number 12 to sit in between them. They walked up the path just as Tonks came along.

"Watcha Mrs Weasley, Draco, Hermione," she said by way of greeting. "Alright there?"

"Hey Tonks," Hermione answered. "I'd say we are."

"Brilliant. Well, Shacklebolt has told me there's a fair bit to talk about today and so the meeting will begin at 11:30. Shouldn't take longer than 2 hours but lunch will be served in between. Afterwards, we can decide what will happen in the meantime."

By this stage, they had all made it up to the house. They entered and this time, there were no dramas from Mrs Black.

"Ah, Draco," Dumbledore's familiar voice could be heard up the hallway. He appeared from the kitchen almost instantaneously. "I'm glad you made it. It seems you've attracted quite a lot of talk these last couple of days."

"Brilliant," Draco muttered, quite happy to leave the place there and then. He felt a squeeze of his left hand at that moment and looked at Hermione looking back at him. "Thanks," he whispered.

"Anytime," she replied, equally as quiet.

"We will be holding the meeting at 11:30 and at 12:30 lunch will be served," Dumbledore continued, ignoring the silent conversation that the two students were having. "You still have some time until then so make yourselves at home and we'll call you when we're ready. Is that alright?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Hermione answered.

They both wandered upstairs to the first floor landing.

"I'm not sure if the others are here, actually," she said.

"Why is that? Mrs. Weasley is," Draco replied.

"Well, normally I would have heard their voices in one of the rooms but this time, I can't hear anyone else other than Tonks, Shacklebolt, some other Order members and the like. Although I think Ginny's here. I think I just heard her voice just now." Seeing Draco's face, she quickly added, "She's not as bad as Ron, trust me. If anything, she'll warm to you quicker than the other two. She doesn't let prejudices get in the way of seeing a person for who they really are. She's one of the few people I know who's like that."

"If you think so."

"I know so."

They wandered about the house until they caught up with Ginny in the master bedroom, muttering something under her breath. Next thing, she had conjured a live turtle in front of her, much to her delight.

"Ginny, what on earth are you doing?" Hermione asked in wonder.

"Oh, I thought I wouldn't be able to!" Ginny answered. It was one of the turtles I found in the pond in the backyard. I wondered if I could bring it in without Accio'ing it and lo and behold, I did! This is wonderful! Now, I'll be more than prepared when I enter Hogwarts in 6th year."

"I must say, that's pretty hard magic. It took me a few weeks to fully master it."

"Yeah, but you didn't have so much time on your hands as what I have these last few weeks. Mum and Dad have been busy with the Order and so have Fred, George, Charlie and Bill. If anything, it's kept me from going insane."

"What about not being allowed to do magic over summer?" quizzed Draco, who had kept himself quiet these last few minutes.

"Didn't you hear? The Ministry have decided to let it pass while Voldemort is still on the loose. They figure that if the magic is harmless, there is no real need to police it. They're more concerned about the Unforgivables and other curses. Charms and the like are ignored."

"Really?" Since when was this the case? I would have heard about it," Hermione interjected.

Ginny looked briefly at Draco before responding. "Well, it's more like insider information. They won't be policing it but they don't want it known that they aren't policing it. They figure that underage wizards and witches should be around older members of the community during these times anyway and that if worst came to worst, they would only be using the curses in self-defence. So it's only members of the Ministry that actually know this."

"Oh, well, that's alright. At least I can get away with it now."

There was a moment's pause while they watched the little turtle wandering around before Ginny conjured up a bathtub for him to swim in. After catching her breath at the effort of producing a bathtub, she then spoke. "I know we haven't exactly been friends, Malfoy but I can't really fathom what this is all like for you."

"What?" Draco was shocked she would even say anything of the sort to him. "Oh, really, it's not that bad."

"Yeah but, I don't know. It must have been tough, though."

"Well, I guess it was, although things have been made easier since I first learned."

"Well, at least you're under the care of the Order. That kind of shows that you must have switched sides."

"What's all this about switching sides?" he wondered aloud. "I never had a side to begin with."

Ginny creased her brow at him. "Yeah, right. You never called anyone anything and you never said that anyone was at more threat than others, you forgot you said all that?"

"Ginny!" Hermione interrupted. "Seriously, we've got past this."

"No, Hermione, it's alright," Draco said. "She asked a legit question. Yes, I did say all that. How long ago was it though?"

"A year, at last count," Ginny muttered.

Draco glared at her, then sighed. "Okay, it was. But as you said, I'm under the care of the Order now."

"I know, which is why I said that it is obvious that you've switched sides. Honestly Malfoy, I wasn't trying to be a bitch, I was actually only pointing a fact out. It was obvious who you believed at first but you obviously don't now."

"Good, I'm glad you know that."

"Look, I'm sorry if it upset you. If it makes you feel any better I think it's good that you were able to see it for yourself."

Draco said nothing but felt a bit better after Ginny's words.

"Is this all sorted now?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Yeah, it's okay," Draco replied. "I guess I just have to get used to people thinking the same thing."

"Hey look, seriously, forget I said anything," Ginny muttered. "I can tell that you're different to how I first knew you. I know Hermione better than Harry or Ron do and the fact that she's still talking to you after two weeks says a lot. The fact that she openly supported you at the last meeting said more. Let's call things even and get on with things. Deal?"

Draco found himself in the same situation he did a week ago. Someone else was now calling him a truce. At least he was finding that more people knew the truth.

"Deal."

"Good. Well, don't expect Ron to change his mind so quickly."

"Don't worry, I never did."

"It's a male thing, I'm sure," Ginny laughed. "God, you guys really do hold grudges. Have a punch-on and get over it."

"Punch-on? I'd beat them both hands down!" Draco exclaimed.

"Well, if you reckon so, put it to the test."

Hermione glared at both of them. "Really, Draco as if you're gonna beat both at the same time. That's two onto one. And no offence but you aren't exactly Arnold Schwarzenegger."

"Who?" Ginny and Draco asked in unison.

"Oh, never mind. What I meant was, you are strong, granted but I doubt you're strong enough to fend off two pissed off teenagers."

"I could hold off Potter, though."

"I don't think Harry is the one to worry about."

"No, I got that feeling too. Weasley is another matter."

"Seriously, I'd pay money to see that," Ginny pondered out aloud.

"What, me fighting Weasley?"

"Hell yeah, I'd have to cheer for Ron, only cos he's my brother and he'd kill me if I didn't."

"Understandably."

"Ah boys. Otherwise, curse him until he develops an eating disorder. That's what females do."

"You can't be serious!"

"It's true. It's too manly to pull some punches so we tease other girls until they either learn to deal with it or do something else that's maybe not very productive. I don't know why, and honestly, I've never done it to anyone but that's the sort of thing that happens."

"God, I think I'll stick to the punches, thanks."

"See? Just do it and get it over with."

"Seriously, I wouldn't waste my time."

"Then hold the grudge some more."

"Tell your brother to fight and I'll take him on."

"You tell him; that way he'll think that it had nothing to do with me and it looks better on you."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "You definitely are the twins' younger sister."

Ginny grinned. "Ha! I'll pay that as a compliment."

Draco smirked; the youngest Weasley could hold her own and she also saw past prejudices. In his books, she wasn't as bad as he first thought. He looked at Hermione who grinned back at him, obviously glad that he got along with at least one of her friends.

"Hey, Ginny, I forgot to tell you the other day. Draco had his first real experience in the Muggle World a week ago."

Ginny laughed, obviously reliving some other moment. "God, it wasn't like that time you took me, was it?"

"No, not like it at all. We had to buy him some new clothes to fit into the Muggle World, so there was no time for the cinemas, but still, it was interesting."

Ginny swung her attention to Draco. "Seriously, she took me into this massive place that had, I dunno, 'films' is what she called them. It was so weird watching them, it was like I was there in the thick of it all."

Draco smiled; he knew that feeling.

"God, when I get some more cash, though, I wouldn't mind going and seeing more. Are there more?"

"Oh yeah," Hermione responded. "When you get a bit more then, you're also working for Fred and George this summer, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Mum let me since they are both fully-fledged wizards now."

"Hang on," Draco interrupted, "didn't they leave before finishing?"

"Yeah, but the Ministry let them under the pretences that they had already shown their teachers that they were more than capable of applying safely the magic they learnt at Hogwarts. Dumbledore wrote a letter to the new Ministry of Magic to tell him of their position and what they were planning on doing in the future and he granted them leniency. As I said, providing that they maintain the level of ability, they could be recognised as fully-fledged wizards."

"I never knew the Ministry granted leniency like that."

"Only in the last year or so since the new Ministry has come in."

"Right, what happens when all of this is over?"

"I'm not sure but I think that they will monitor the changes and see how things work out. If there are more problems, then they will change things to how they were. If it's successful, they might leave things the way they are. Although, I think they probably should change back the law of underage magic over summer. There is no real need for it, excluding present times, of course."

"Yeah, true I guess. Although it won't make any difference to us."

"No, but at least we won't have every single brat running around telling us that they learned this cool new spell and to watch them do it. I couldn't stand that."

"God! I hope they're not doing it now!" Hermione pondered.

"I don't think they would."

Draco was actually enjoying himself but found the need to go grab a drink before the meeting.

"I'm just gonna go grab a drink," he muttered."

"Oh, okay then. I think the meeting's going to start soon, anyway," Hermione replied.

"Well, I'll meet you both down there."

"Okay."

Draco left the room, no doubt thinking that the conversation between the two would quickly turn to him – that was the case with females, gossiping came naturally – and wandered down the stairs to the kitchen.


	33. Meeting Number 2

Oh my God! Another update so soon?

* * *

**Chapter 33: Meeting Number 2**

"God, Hermione, how good-looking is he?" Ginny exclaimed as soon as Draco shut the door.

Draco's thoughts were confirmed; of course, he wasn't to know that.

Hermione smiled. "I know. I have to admit, it was pretty good picking and choosing clothes for him. I got a few daggers from a few girls, too."

"I bet you did. If I was one of those girls, I would be giving them to you, too! There aren't many guys around that look like that."

"I know. I kept thinking, 'this is so strange' yet he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. Needless to say, so did I!"

"I bet you did. He really has changed his ways, hasn't he?"

"Ginny, you have no idea. It's such a wonder that he's the same Draco Malfoy as before. He is so not like who we all thought he was, even before he changed his ways. I guess none of us ever really knew him and so to come across him as someone to actually have a civil conversation with, it's odd. But his likes and dislikes, none of that has changed. He's into a lot of things I wouldn't have associated him with and it was very surreal coming to realise that."

"So," Ginny muttered with a sly look, "has anything happened between the two of you?"

Hermione blushed before she could stop herself.

"Ha! That's so awesome! I can't wait to tell the boys!"

"Oh God! Don't do that!"

"Of course I'm not going to! They'll lynch you both before the words have come out of my mouth. But hey, I can't wait to see their faces when they realise something has happened. Is it still happening?" Hermione gave a sheepish grin and Ginny's eyes lit up. "From that look, I'd say it still is. You go, Granger."

"Well, it only just happened."

"What, in the last couple of days?"

"Well, moreso in the last day, although there has been a build-up of things happening. Let's just say we know a lot about each other and how each feels about the other as well."

"Hermione! You're saying this about Draco Malfoy!"

"I know, it's so weird, isn't it? But he's so sweet, you'll just have to believe me."

"I might have to, although he has shown a different side to me, even in this last half an hour."

"I know. I'm so glad you know that, Gin. I hated seeing the three boys fighting the last time I was here. I'm just happy someone knows that I haven't gone stupid."

"Put it this way, you'd be stupid not to get involved with him."

"What do you mean?"

"He's got a pretty good reputation, Hermione. Just remember that."

"Where have I been? I never heard that."

"That's because you don't venture into the girls' toilets on the dungeon level. Most of the Slytherin girls inhabit there and the writing is on the wall, literally. 'Draco Malfoy is FINE!'"

Hermione laughed. "You can't be serious."

"I am! When we go back, I'll take you down there. You'll see. AND it looks to be in someone other than Pansy's handwriting."

"How do you know what Pansy's handwriting looks like? You're not in any of her classes."

"Yeah but I once caught her with Seamus behind the greenhouses and she wrote me a note afterwards saying that as part of the Inquisitorial Squad, she would dock me all of my house points if I told anyone what I saw. As for Seamus, he obviously wanted it kept quiet as well."

"But she was with Draco at the time, wasn't she?"

"She was with a lot of guys."

"You mean to say that she cheated on Draco on more than one occasion?"

"Not only that, but I don't think he even cared. Mind you, it was obvious he never really cared more for her than a simple friendship."

"Wow. I never knew that. I have to get out more, I think." Hermione thought for a moment. "That must mean he's been with someone else other than Pansy, then."

"Not necessarily. I mean, yeah, but he may not have slept with them. He can catch a snitch, he can handle delicate things; ooh, the likelihood of his being able to handle 'other' things is too great!"

"What other… oh, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "Although, it would be good if he could, wouldn't it?"

"You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure."

"Actually, I might have found out last night."

"Ah! Granger! You're way ahead of where I thought you were!"

"No, well it didn't but you know I haven't before and he found out that and he said he didn't want to right at that moment. He wanted to just get his head around it first. He even said, 'it's obvious it's going to happen', which I must admit sounded a bit cocky but it was kind of a turn-on. It showed the tough side of him that kind of attracts you to guys like him but it was sweet how he didn't want me to feel like he was just doing it for his enjoyment."

"You are so in love with him, aren't you?" Ginny grinned.

"Go away! I am not!" Although Hermione knew that Ginny was right. She had even admitted it to herself the day before.

"Come on, Hermione, you are! Even if you aren't ready to admit it to yourself, you so are."

Hermione did nothing but give a small smile.

Ginny took one look at her and laughed. "You know you are," she muttered.

"Wouldn't you say that we ought to go down to the meeting by now?" Hermione said by way of changing the topic of conversation.

"Swift change, Granger. It's alright, I'll hear it sooner or later." Ginny grinned then continued. "I'm sure they should have called us by now. We better head on down to it anyway."

They left the room and headed downstairs to the lounge. Dumbledore was just walking the opposite way when he saw them.

"Ah girls," he said. "I'm sorry, I got a bit sidetracked. The meeting is about to begin."

Hermione saw Draco sitting on a chair beside Snape and saw two places vacant next to him. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen and it was unlikely that they were going to make an appearance anytime soon. Obviously they had made a boycott and she couldn't help but feel annoyed.

Regardless, she and Ginny went and sat on Draco's other side in the two remaining chairs.

"Right," Dumbledore continued as he came back into the room, "now we can begin. I'm sure you all know the reasons for this meeting here and so I do not need to go into minor details. What I should inform you is this. There was word of a planned attack on a Ministry official, yet it was not Peasegood. At this stage, we do not know who it was but Professor Snape was able to eliminate certain Ministry officials. Peasegood, as I said was one, the other two known officials was Mafalda Hopkirk and Gawain Robards. It seems that Draco's information on Peasegood can be dismissed."

Draco sighed with relief. Hermione looked at him and saw a great look of peace cross his face. He turned to Snape who nodded his affirmation and turned back to Dumbledore. Snape, however, saw Hermione look at him and glared back. Hermione shrunk back behind Draco and stared at the front.

Snape always could make her cower in fear with the slightest look, even now as he was preparing for a battle on her side.

Dumbledore continued. "It's a good thing that Gawain Robards is not to be attacked, yet I wonder why he isn't. He is the head of the Aurors, no doubt. It makes me wonder what Voldemort's plan really is.

"But we were still going to monitor Peasegood's home. As it turned out, Arnold Peasegood was very forthcoming about staying in his flat if an attack occurred. This led to suspicion on the Auror's part and so an extendable ear was placed, unbeknownst to Peasegood, in his home. Another one was placed here and Messrs Fred and George Weasley, the marvellous inventors of the item, connected the two of them without the need of a chord. Before I go on, I must say that we have a very talented group of people within the Order and it is a wondrous thing how we can all pool together our ideas in times like this.

"What we overheard Peasegood saying the last couple of days has proven very interesting. It appears that unbeknownst to Draco, even though what he dreamt wasn't technically true, we seemed to have stumbled upon by accident a member of the Ministry who is determined to help out Voldemort in any way he can. As I said, the information that Draco provided us wasn't technically true but Peasegood was going to offer his services as an Obliviator for another cause. With use of the Imperius Curse, it is very dangerous to whomever receives it. You see, being forced to do something and having no recollection of either it or what you were supposed to be doing beforehand has drastic after-effects for that person. They could have anything done such as being only forced to dance in the street naked or they could be charged with murder. It depends on what is required. So it was interesting to note that we can charge one person without their knowledge of how that information was obtained and prevent further happenings from occurring. Of course, this will only prolong the situation. Voldemort will be able to find another way to achieve what he wants, unless we stop him first. That is what we all hope to achieve."

Here, Dumbledore stopped in what appeared to be to draw breath but then he turned towards the fireplace. He pointed towards the fireplace and with a wave of his hand, had lit it.

Seeing as the temperature outside was reaching 30 degrees Celsius, it was of great wonder as to what Dumbledore was thinking. Before anyone could ask him he had his head in the flames after having thrown a small amount of floo powder into the fireplace.

"Amos Diggory," he muttered.

A few minutes later, Amos Diggory's voice could be heard on the other end of the fire, of course, no one at 12 Grimmauld Place could hear exactly what was said between the two. One sided conversations don't give a lot away.

After some time speaking, Dumbledore pulled his head out and turned to the Order.

"What Mr Diggory has just told me is something that should prove handy in the next discussion with Arnold Peasegood. Having been a good friend of Peasegood's for quite some time, Amos is prepared to undertake a close eye on Peasegood in order to get a bit more information on him. It's with disgust, he says, that Peasegood would be involved after what has happened to his family but he says he will keep up appearances in order to get any information. Amos was not able to attend today's meeting due to a sickness in his family but nonetheless sends his regards to all involved."

Hermione turned to Draco to see a look of questioning wonder on his face.

_He's not going to know anything about Cedric's parents' grieving._

"Draco," she whispered. "It's an untold rule that no one asks any member of the Diggory family how they're coping with the loss of Cedric. The sickness in the family is more likely to be his mother suffering another bout of depression."

"Geez, are you serious? I know it must have been hard but two years later?"

"Think about it. They lost their only child. Imagine what your mother would be like if you were killed before she. I can picture she wouldn't be very well at all, and for a long, long time."

Draco sat and thought for a moment. "I never thought of it like that," he finally responded. "Okay, not that I would have passed Diggory Snr. in the street often but I understand not to mention anything at all about him. I would honestly doubt that he'd want much to do with me, anyway."

"You aren't your father, Draco. He'll know that."

"Not always. You have to remember, my father had a lot of influence over a lot of people and it was those like Cedric's father and Arthur Weasley whom he couldn't sway. They were smart and everyone else was stupid. Even me, for a while."

"Draco, please don't be hard on yourself. We've gotten over this. You know it, you grew up around him and even your mother couldn't show her true self. You might be a Malfoy but you are nothing like your father."

"I'm just glad you're here to remind me because I need that sometimes."

"Well, I know it will never be the case." With that, Hermione reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. Draco only looked at her with a look of sadness in his eyes, yet for what reason, Hermione didn't know. It was obvious it was about something they had just been talking about but that was all she knew.

They were silent for the remainder of the first session as Dumbledore mentioned a few other actions that would be taken up by the Order but none that really concerned the younger members. Now that Draco was in the clear, they did not need to attend any more meetings but instead, would be informed of outcomes as they were made known.

After ten minutes, Dumbledore called a recess and to have lunch.

"Malfoy, glad you're in the clear?" Draco could hear Ginny ask from behind him as they made their way out of the sitting room.

"I'll say. I didn't really want to get involved any more than I already was. I'd rather just enjoy the rest of the holidays now."

"So you mean to say you've been enjoying them?" she grinned.

"Ginny!" Hermione cautioned.

Draco just grinned. "Yeah, it's been alright. Not as bad as I first would have thought, anyway."

"Draco!" Hermione cautioned again.

"Well, it's true, wouldn't you agree? You even told me you really weren't impressed about me staying there, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, but – "

"See? I'm just clarifying that it has turned out rather okay."

Hermione looked a bit gobsmacked and Ginny started to laugh.

"Well, Granger, I believe he has you there. What would you like to say in retaliation?"

"Nothing, the bastard. I didn't think he'd say what he has."

"Ooh! Feisty!" he muttered, loving riling Hermione's temper.

"Okay and on that bombshell, goodnight!1" Ginny exclaimed, making to wander out of the room.

"Get back here, Weasley!" Hermione cautioned, starting to look like the joke was getting old.

"Come now, Hermione, I'm only kidding,"

"Yeah, well, you know me better than most, you don't want to push it."

"You trying to scare me?"

"You ought to try me."

"Who took the jam out of your donut?"

"You took the jam out of my donut, Ginny, you did!2"

"Fine. Ruin my fun."

"Okay ladies, settle, you don't want me to intervene, or actually, I don't want to intervene, I'd rather see where this goes," Draco muttered slyly.

"Dirty bastard!" Hermione retorted. "Always wanting to see a cat fight!"

"I'm a bloke, why not? Besides which, you can't tell me you haven't wanted to."

"Fuck off! As if I would!"

Draco just started to laugh.

"Well, are we going to get lunch or are we going to be indulged in more of Malfoy's fantasy?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, well we better get some lunch," Draco muttered.

"I thought so."

Lunch passed in unspectacular fashion with the three sitting at one end of the old kitchen table and eating the sandwiches that Mrs Weasley and surprisingly Tonks had made for them.

Afterwards, Dumbledore came up and said, "If you want, you can go. There is nothing of any great importance that will be discussed this afternoon. You can stay here, come to the meeting or return to your home, Hermione."

"Well, I think Ginny might want some company for a couple more hours, if you don't mind, Draco," Hermione said.

"It's alright. It's probably a good thing to stay here and talk to a few people."

"Okay, we'll stay for a bit longer then."

"Splendid! I might see you after the meeting, otherwise, I shall be in touch with the pair of you."

Dumbledore exited the room and left the three at the end of the table.

"Who else is going to the meeting?" Draco wanted to know.

"Just about all of them, except maybe Lupin," Ginny answered.

"Great."

"We won't be talking all girl talk, you can come join us."

"It's alright, I have something I need to say to him anyway."

Hermione glanced worriedly at him.

"Nothing like that," he assured, "just that I have a few things I need to get off my chest."

"Okay then. We'll be where we were before."

"Alright. I'll come up later."

The girls left the room and Draco followed, but instead of moving up the stairs he wandered out back to where he assumed the study was.

Lupin was coming from outside when Draco ran into him, literally.

"_Hmph_, sorry L – Professor."

Lupin smiled kindly at him. "I'm not your professor Draco, so you only need call me Remus. Don't bother with last name formalities."

"Er, thanks, er Remus."

"Sure. Were you after anything?"

"Er yeah I was, actually."

"Why don't we go up into the second study upstairs? It's a bit quieter than near the lounge room."

"I guess."

They went upstairs to the second study and Draco sat down in a leather chair opposite the big oak desk. Lupin pulled the desk chair around and sat in front of Draco.

"Er, I need to hear someone else's opinion on everything that's happened since they found out Hermione was helping me over summer."

"In terms of what?" Lupin asked cautiously.

"I mean, I know no one is happy about this arrangement between Hermione and I. But do they all hold the old grudges?"

Lupin sighed. "I'm not to kid you, Draco. There are people in the Order that aren't happy about you seemingly switching sides. But then there are others who are willing to see past old prejudices and let sleeping dogs lie."

"Is there any way that those who aren't happy will ever change their opinion?" Draco asked, already knowing the answer.

"Probably not, trust me on that."

Draco wasn't sure why Lupin would say that because he wasn't sure what Lupin would have gone through to say something like that.

_Only that he's a werewolf__… oh yeah. Because he's a werewolf. He knows exactly what prejudices are._

"I guess it just shows that people are too blind to see what is really in front of them."

"That they are, Draco. I'm glad you see that."

"Sir, I mean Remus, I know I said some pretty horrible things to you as well regarding your troubles. My father – "

"Your father is not you, Draco. You might have not been a favourite student of mine but you were not like your father during any of it. If anything, it was more like a Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry, nothing more."

"Thank you Sir."

"Remus, Draco. Call me Remus. And you're welcome. It is obvious that you follow your mother's line of thinking. Thank God for that."

"You know about my mother?"

"She was two years ahead of me at school and she was nothing like the hard-nosed woman your father made her into. She was very giving, for a Slytherin and she was quite warm to everyone. Things started to change when Lucius started courting her."

"No doubt," Draco mumbled.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Draco. As I said, you're nothing like your father, you threatened to end up like him," Lupin grinned, in a joking way, "but you showed you have an independent way of thinking. As for wishful thinking, don't bother. Snape has been thinking it for his time with the Order, so have I. But know that you are not alone in this and that there are those who are willing to see past your so-called faults. Cherish those that do."

"I will, Sir, er, Remus."

"I know you will. Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"

"Er, Tonks? She is my cousin after all. Will she be likely to see past everything?"

Lupin smiled in a knowing way, to which Draco was not sure of. "She most definitely will."

"Alright. Is there anyone I should avoid though?"

"Probably only Amos Diggory. But I wouldn't worry; most of us normally try to keep out of his way as well. He doesn't speak to many in the Order."

"Okay. I think that's all."

"That's good. I better go see how the rest of the meeting ended up, I didn't need to stay but it helps sometimes."

"Alright. Thank you, Remus."

"And you didn't have to correct yourself," he smiled. "No worries, Draco."

Lupin walked out of the room and downstairs. Draco made his way into the room where Ginny and Hermione were.

"Well, got things sorted now?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, just needed to clarify a few things," Draco responded.

"Cool. Did you want to stay or go back to mine?"

Draco didn't have to think much about his answer. "I'd prefer to go, actually."

"That's fine." Hermione looked at Ginny. "We'll see you next time, hey Gin?"

Ginny smiled. "Sure, no problem. Have fun at your place then, won't you?" With that, she gave a very smug wink that Draco chose to ignore with his well-honed poker face.

Hermione, on the other hand, swotted Ginny on the arm. "Leave it, will you?"

"Haha! Sure. See you!"

Hermione directed Draco back down the stairs. "I'm sorry about Ginny," she said. "I honestly thought that she wouldn't say anything, given circumstances."

"Hermione, I really don't care," Draco assured. "To be honest, it's just good that someone sees past the whole 'Ooh! He's a Slytherin!' front."

Hermione laughed, her eyes shining as she did so. "She is rather blunt. But Ginny's great and I'm glad that you at least get along with someone here."

Draco hesitated. "Well, I had a decent chat to Lupin, actually."

Hermione looked in wonder. "Oh?"

"Yeah, just a few things, as I said. But he's not bad to talk to either."

"He is pretty good. That's great that you can talk to him. He's had it rough and whilst I don't want to put you in the same boat as him, you do have similarities."

"Yeah, I found that out as well." They found their way back downstairs and to Dumbledore.

"Ah yes," he muttered. "Mrs. Weasley will take you back again, if you don't mind."

"Sure."

Mrs. Weasley came bustling out of the kitchen and reached the pair. "Okay, back to your place, right Hermione?"

"That's right. I think we've had enough for one meeting here."

"Right. Well, follow me then."

Within two minutes, they were back in front of Hermione's place, having dispatched of the portkey that was used to transport them there.

"Be safe, won't you two?" Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged both children, much to Draco's surprise. "Especially you, Draco."

"Er, yeah, I guess. I will," he muttered slowly.

She left the two of them and Disapparated back to 12 Grimmauld Place.

1 Whoever doesn't know this quote ought to be shot, or at least made to watch numerous episodes of Top Gear to hear Clarkson's famous ending quote. Of course, Ginny isn't going to know Top Gear from a bar of soap, but who cares? It's a great show.

2 I'm sorry, another direct quote, this time from Snatch. Tommy says to Turkish the first line to which Turkish responds the second line.


	34. Next Weekend

Oh my God, have I got a treat for a lot of people! I have written numerous pages now, at least I will be able to update a couple of more chapters soon. This story has not been forgotten; it has just taken me a looooong time to write and stuff, so thank you to everyone who has stuck with it. Your patience has been worthwhile. I am so proud of this that I could not abandon it. It has been a marathon writing this and I have say I would be disappointed if it never got finished. As it stands, I am well on the way to getting it completed because I have got up to one of the major plot bits in the story so once I get past that, the story will more or less be almost done. Woohoo! As I said, I am so proud of this story, and yes I know it might need some tweaking in places but what story doesn't? I don't have a beta so I have just had to go over it myself to tweak things.

But, here is the next chapter of Summer With The Grangers!

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**Chapter 34: Next Weekend**

After the meeting at 12 Grimmauld Place, Draco and Hermione cherished the time that they had to themselves during the week. Most of the time they sat together out near the fish pond and read, or kissed or whatever else young lovers do when things haven't progressed far. Hermione was content to simply relax into Draco's shoulders and let him warm her on the slightly chilly days where the sun fell behind the clouds or to watch him practice with the soccer ball for a couple of hours each day. Otherwise, she spent the time catching up on some reading that she wanted to do while she had some minutes.

When the following weekend came around, both she and Draco weren't so anxious to do anything but knew that they probably better get out for fear of going silly if they didn't.

Neither one of them felt up for a picnic or the like but something that she had always wanted to do in recent times and thought that he might find interesting was visit Buckingham Palace, to show Draco exactly how the British Royal Family lived. It would also give him an insight into how Muggle Britain conducted their everyday politics, since the Queen had control over the British Parliament.

Because Jane was not working, she found it a good idea to come out for the drive as well. As they travelled through London, Hermione pointed out the different points of interest such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, one of the subways that lead to the Tube and finally, Buckingham Palace.

Hermione turned at the sound of Draco gasping. It was clear that whilst the manors that he had grown up in or visited were large, they were nothing compared to the Queen's London residence.

"Geez, it's huge!" He exclaimed.

"It's always breathtaking whenever I see it," Jane said.

"I've seen huge manors but this, this is a monstrosity!"

Hermione laughed. And you probably thought Hogwarts was large when you first saw it, true?"

Draco muttered, "Yes, I actually did. But how is it that they can afford this place?"

"The British Royal family have had Buckingham Palace in their possession for centuries. It isn't their only residence either; they have numerous other places in other parts of the United Kingdom. In fact, I found that when I first came to Hogwarts, it was up near the Queen's Scottish estate. I don't know where exactly it is by comparison but I don't think they are far away."

Draco was pensive for a moment. "Hmm. Tell me, what does their Scottish residency look like, and who are the British Royal family? I mean, what do they look like?"

"It's probably a bit hard to describe what they look like but I guess their residence is located on the Northern side of Scotland. So that makes it probably 150 miles from Hogwarts?"

Draco was quiet again. "I only ask because I think I know the place."

Hermione turned properly to face him. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not. I often saw a huge manor to the north side of Scotland on my way to Bellatrix's estate up there. That is, until we stopped visiting her. But I was told that we were not to associate with them, even though they clearly had money. They were not worthy of us to visit them. Well, that was according to my father anyway. Clearly, he's very wrong in this."

"Well, yes but I can see how you might think you know them. Their last name is Windsor, anyhow."

Draco looked stunned. "That's it! I can't believe I know them! Well, at least I know of them."

"Wow, that's a pretty big thing to say, that you know the British Royal family. What about your mother, would she have got to know them?"

"I don't think so. I think we really didn't have quite enough money to associate with them in the end." Hermione gave a look that Draco didn't ignore. "I know, but it's true. As I can see now, they clearly have a lot of money, enough that is beyond what my family has."

"Well, we'll have a closer look when we go through it with the rest of the tourists."

Jane had kept quiet throughout this exchange of words between Hermione and Draco. However, she piped up when she knew she had a chance.

"Would you prefer me to drop you two off and I'll park the car and catch up with you later?"

"Nonsense Mum, you wanted to come and see it for yourself as well. We'll all go in together."

"Okay then."

Hermione knew that her mother was just letting her have some space but she liked having her with her because there weren't many times when she could spend time with her and as much as she was enjoying this time with Draco now that things had progressed as they did, she knew that she could not have too much of a good thing too soon. Besides, she loved spending time talking about different things with her mother and knew that she was a great admirer of the Royals and knew that she would enjoy the day.

They parked the car in another multi-deck car park, noting where they had parked this time, and walked to Buckingham Palace.

Looking from the outside, it was a huge structure. From the inside however, it seemed to grow exponentially. Hermione had been through Buckingham Palace once before, on a school trip when she was 8. Things seemed huge to the tiny Hermione then but even though she had grown up, things still seemed massive to her at the age of 16.

She looked across at Draco. It seemed he could not keep his eyes off the ceilings, either because of how high the structure was or because of the detail that was found in it.

They walked around with the rest of the tourist group throughout the important rooms such as the Banquet Room, formal Entrance Hall, one of the Guest Wings, the Royal Stables and even the Kitchen, showcasing just how much silverware there is as well as the size of the kitchen itself.

"It's amazing," Draco muttered in awe.

Hermione smiled. "Wonders never cease to amaze me, either."

"I mean, I bet she hasn't even seen half these rooms. You can't imagine she would have."

"No, I highly doubt that she has. Although, having said that, she did actively serve during the Second World War as a mechanic. That is, someone who looks after cars. She has never really come across as someone who treats her inferiors as someone less than her. She always makes time to go and see the people of the land and she doesn't ignore them either. She is a woman of words and someone whom the people of Britain can put their faith in. She does not back down from an issue, although she does make a very conscientious effort not to state her political opinions to anyone."

Draco looked at Hermione in wonder. "Really? God, you wouldn't see Cornelius Fudge going out and doing basic servant's work. Mind you, you wouldn't see my father do it either." At this Draco scowled. "Oh well, at least I can say that Mother would probably put her hand up to do it and that's all that matters to me now."

Hermione looked at Draco in sadness. Instead of saying something, however, she took his hand in his and turned to put a chaste kiss on his cheek. Draco's eyes opened slightly in shock but he smiled at her, causing her to smile back at him with a newfound look of happiness for him.

Jane had been unmistakably quiet during this exchange, busying herself with a painting on the wall of the Queen's great-great-great grandfather. She turned around just as the two teenagers were smiling at one another, making her smile herself.

At the end of the day, both Hermione and Draco were completely tired. Neither one of them could say or do much except go to sleep in the car on the way back home.

When they arrived, Robert had prepared dinner for them, something Draco couldn't get over. He had never seen Robert cook a meal, let alone any other males for that matter. He always had house elves prepare meals for him, as his father would never set foot into a kitchen. The thought of his father started to make Draco quite annoyed at Lucius' stupidity and blind prejudices and he made himself think of the day that he had just had.

That was something of a shock to have seen, Buckingham Palace. He knew that the Muggles had their own form of politics but didn't know exactly how it worked. He could see during the tour and from what Hermione and the tour guide explained to him, that British Muggles had a very effective system for their government. One Head of State to oversee the government and then a government to actually run the day-to-day operations of the country. The Queen had obviously come from a very long line of Royals, since the Palace was so old and the family tree in one of the rooms showed just how old her family was.

He wasn't entirely sure where the thought came from but he could not help but feel that the Magical Community was a speck of dust in the world when comparing it to even Muggle London. He doubted that one suburb of London would be the same size as the whole Wizarding Community in Great Britain put together, in favour of the former. Hogwarts had roughly 400 students with approximately 20 teachers and other staff. The Wizarding World, using that logic, had probably around 20,000 people in Britain, since there was only one entire town that has only wizards and witches inhabiting it. That included Muggle-borns, Half-Bloods and Pure-Bloods.

_Pure-Bloods,_ Draco scoffed. _Fat lot of good that has been trying to keep the blood pure since it doesn't matter what you are._

Although it seemed to be a similar train of thought with the Royal family. He noticed that there was the same familiar pattern with who married whom. They all appeared to be British or other nation's aristocrats who were married into the Royal family. It appeared that it has only been the most recent generation that has gone against the tide and married who they referred to as Commoners. However, there didn't appear to be the same prejudices as in the Wizarding World.

_Maybe the Muggles are more tolerant towards everyday people than Wizards are towards Muggle-Borns._

Either way, the day had proven to be very, very interesting to say the least. Draco couldn't get over the similiarities between the two Worlds. It was only entirely proven when he saw Buckingham Palace and how the Royals lived their everyday lives. At Château de Malfoi they had a similar way of living, albeit on a much, much smaller level, with servants and having a sense of duty of being an aristocrat in the Wizarding World. Although what purpose did that serve? He could see that it was really none, whatsoever. Now he thought about it, he couldn't see himself ever enjoying that sort of life, especially since being an aristocrat meant lots of dinner parties and hence, lots of small talk.

He had a feeling that the Royals would probably have their days of just not giving a shit but knowing that they had to for the sake of having that moral sense of duty to the people of Britain. He wondered what his mother would think about it, knowing that she wasn't always happy at dinner or tea parties for the same reason. He knew that she had wanted to do more with her life but for the sake of the family did nothing. He wondered how on earth she managed to keep sane in all of that. He now knew that he would have to do something else in life other than being a Malfoy.

He was mulling over this while he ate his dinner and it wasn't until Robert snapped his fingers in front of his face that he realised that everyone was looking at him in amusement.

"Did I miss something?" he asked, causing Robert to chuckle and Hermione to shake her head and smile.

"I was wondering if you wanted to play some football after dinner," Robert asked him.

It had been a week since Draco had last played football with Robert and it occurred to him that he had missed it.

His eyes lit up. "Yeah," he responded enthusiastically. "But shouldn't we clean up first?"

Robert had a look on his face that was something akin to shock and amusement. "Yes, we had better do that."

After everything was done and the dishes were complete, Draco went and changed into his Hogwarts Quidditch uniform, without the outer robes, and put on his trainers. He wasn't entirely sure why but he felt that being in his sports uniform would make it feel a bit more authentic playing football. He felt part of a team and besides which, he knew Robert hadn't seen the uniform.

Hermione caught him just as he was exiting his room.

"Oh, looking good," she muttered to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He smiled at her. "I'll see you later, shall I?"

She laughed into his chest. "Just don't hurt yourself out there. You know, I don't think I've ever seen you at Hogwarts without your racing robes on, like this I mean."

"It's not something we can do often. The uniform includes the robes so as much as they get in the way sometimes, we have to wear them. That's the rules but here, I can wear whatever I want," Draco quirked an eyebrow, knowing what this would do for Hermione. It got the desired effect; Hermione smiled broadly and kissed him.

_God, you look beautiful w__ith that look, Hermione._

"I'll see you soon, then."

"I'll be careful, don't worry."

She unwrapped her arms from around him and wandered into her room. Draco continued down the stairs where Robert, who had also taken the opportunity to change into his sports attire, was standing at the back door waiting.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "Is this your Quidditch uniform?"

"Partly. This is what we wear underneath the robes. We have all-weather robes that we need to wear over the top of this."

"Well, it's a nice-looking uniform. How about we get cracking then?"

"Yeah, I realised I missed it during the week."

Robert smiled. "Well, I realised just how much I had missed it as well. In fact, I thought that I'd start to get back into it. It gives me a release from life that nothing else can, I'm afraid. I've even been going for a jog again in the morning."

Draco looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, for sure. I didn't realise how much I missed it until I had that game with you. I have to say, it brought back a lot of memories that I had forgotten about. I'll tell you them sometime but not right now. We have a game to play."

Draco grinned and followed Robert down onto the mini-football pitch.

They started with some basic drills and a bit of a warm-up then got into a bit of one-on-one, although it became quite clear that Draco needed to be shown first how to defend.

"I didn't show you that last time, did I?" Robert asked.

"No, you mustn't have."

"Well, I had better do that then although it is clear that you've been practising your attacking during the week."

"Thank you, Robert."

"You're welcome, Draco. Soon, we'll get you playing in the district league no worries."

"District league?" Draco queried. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. It'll be something you should get involved in. I'm not doubting that Hermione is good company but you obviously are enjoying football so to have an outside interest is better than staying here all the time. I think it would do you some good to do that."

Draco wasn't sure what to make of it. Playing football on a regular basis with a group of Muggles. Somehow it didn't seem normal but then again, it didn't seem too bad either. It would be just like playing Quidditch except that he would be playing once a week instead of once a school term and the people who he would be playing with he wouldn't know. As he thought about it, the idea of playing sport with people he didn't know seemed more and more appealing. No one knew who he was which meant, no one knew who his father was and so he would not have to try to explain his life to anyone.

Of course, that meant that if anyone did ask him about his life, he would either have to not give anything away or come up with a story that corresponded to the Muggle way of thinking. He opted for the latter, though now was not the time to think up anything.

Robert broke his thoughts. "What do you think about that?"

Draco looked up at him. "I think I'd enjoy it. Of course, I'd have to come up with a story to tell everyone."

Robert laughed. "Of course, I forgot about that. Oh well, tell them that you're staying with a family friend for the summer and that you go to school in Wales. No one would suspect anything else. What are your favourite subjects?"

Draco thought for a moment. "I like Potions but I also like History of Magic. I know Hermione would find that hard to believe."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's taught by a ghost who was a person one day, then woke up another day and left his body as a ghost. He manages to make the most exciting battle the single-most boring thing you have ever heard. Yet, I look past all of that because the conflicts themselves are very interesting."

"Oh well, you've read up on more World War history than a lot of other teenagers I know. If you told them that your interests lie in World War history and chemistry then you should be okay."

"I'm not sure about chemistry, I know what it is but we don't use a lot of the elements of the periodic table, although I am familiar with the concept of it. A lot of the elements are found within certain ingredients and it is usually a combination of those ingredients, not the elements themselves, that produces a potion."

"Hmm, oh well, the History side of things you will pass in. Maybe we can sort out something else. For now, I highly doubt that will come up. What about literature?"

"I've read a fair bit of Classic Muggle literature now."

"It doesn't matter if it's Muggle or Wizarding literature though. You'll probably find that a lot of fables found in the Wizarding World are similar in the Muggle World. They are under the genre of fantasy and a lot of people read them."

"Really?"

"Yeah, for sure. I'll lend you a series I liked when I was young. It's called The Lord of the Rings and it's one of the most famous fantasy novels around. Hermione has read it although not for a long time. I'll lend you the first book too called The Hobbit, since it sets the scene for The Lord of the Rings."

"What's it about?"

"The Lord of the Rings is about a creature, a hobbit, named Frodo Baggins who, as the heir to his uncle, is the recipient of a ring. Unbeknownst to Frodo's uncle, Bilbo, who picked it up on a quest he went on in The Hobbit, this ring was forged in the great fires of Mount Doom in a place called Mordor. It is the ring that rules them all, that is, the rings that were forged for the people of the land to help rule their people – men, elves and dwarves. The ring that rules them all is filled with the most evil and dark magic that has existed because it was made in secret by the great sorcerer Sauron. Frodo embarks on a quest to have the ring destroyed to eliminate Sauron and bring peace to Middle Earth."

"Elves?" Draco wondered. "I didn't know elves existed."

"That's why it's a fantasy series. Although, it's thought of as an alternative to the real story of Earth."

"Is it? It sounds quite an interesting story. If something surprises me about magic, I really ought to read it."

"I think you will enjoy it if you enjoy reading about adventures and wars. As I said, it's thought of in some circles as a make-believe history of the world."

"Okay, I'll have a read of it when I can. I guess fitting in isn't going to be as bad as I thought."

"No, it's all pretty easy. As I said, you've read quite a lot about Muggle History amongst other things to get by enough. So how about we get back to it?"

"Okay."

Draco felt elated. He wasn't sure at first how he might be able to get by with Muggles when he didn't know much about their world but it seemed like he knew enough.

Robert and Draco spent the next hour doing some more defensive drills and putting them into practice with a small game at the end. Robert was obviously enjoying his time outside and Draco was feeling more and more excited at the prospect of playing football with Muggles.

At the end, Robert came up to him and said, "I'll look into a few clubs around. I know there is a local competition for boys your age."

"I don't know what to say, Robert."

"Then say nothing. It's my pleasure, Draco. You are fully integrating yourself into our way of living and that is reward for us enough. I can only help out where possible for you to get more out of it and what better way than to get you enrolled into a local competition."

"I really appreciate it though, you do know that, don't you?"

"Of course we do. We both do, in fact I know we all do," Robert gave him a wink.

Draco smiled. "I guess you're right. It's just nice that you're doing this."

"Don't mention it. I'll get back to you on it, hey?"

"Yeah alright."

They made it back inside as the clock chimed 10 o'clock.

"Good timing," Robert announced. "Bed time for me."

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired but I'll have a shower first I think."

"Good idea. Well, I'll lock up down here and maybe I'll see you in the morning."

Draco nodded. "Okay." Then an idea struck him. "Robert?" he asked. "What time do you go for a jog?"

Robert looked back at him in wonder. "Around 6 o'clock. Why is that?"

Draco grinned. "I'll see you at 6 o'clock then," he answered.

Robert chuckled. "No worries, 6 o'clock it is then."

With that, Draco went upstairs to have his shower to leave Robert to lock up the house downstairs. Before he went to the bathroom, he decided to knock on Hermione's door to see if she was still awake.

"Come in," she responded.

He entered to see her reading in bed. She looked up as he entered the room. Smiling to himself, Draco took in the picture of her in front of him. She looked beautiful sitting up in bed the way she did. Her hair was loose and falling down around the T-shirt that she was wearing.

"I thought I'd say goodnight before I went to bed," he said quietly.

Hermione smiled at him. "You look like you've had some fun."

"Yeah, it was good. You won't believe what your father said."

She looked in wonder. "Oh?"

"Yeah, he suggested I join the local football competition."

Hermione looked ready to burst with excitement. "Are you serious? That's wonderful! He obviously feels you'll do quite well in it then."

Draco couldn't help but feel impressed with himself. He didn't really feel it before but hearing it from Hermione put things into perspective. "I guess you're right. I never really thought of it like that."

"Of course he would. If he feels you are ready, then you're ready. Oh, that's wonderful news! I'm so proud of what you've achieved in such a short space of time! You're amazing!"

Draco was overwhelmed. He hadn't received so much praise in his lifetime. He almost withdrew into himself when he remembered who was giving him praise. If anyone could bring out the best in him to the point that he believed in himself it was his mother or Hermione. It was one thing that Robert was giving him appraisal but to hear it from Hermione was something else entirely.

He found he could not speak; he could only look at her in admiration that her words had done him so much justice. She looked back at him and smiled, obviously glad that her words had so much effect.

"You're an incredible human being, Draco Malfoy."

All Draco could muster in response was a very quiet but very proud "Thank you."

He wandered over to her in the bed and bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. She seemed to understand the meaning and did not pull him in for more. He pulled away after a minute and gazed at her for a minute.

"I must stink," he muttered finally.

Hermione laughed. "You smell like expensive wizard cologne, don't worry."

He smiled. "Then it's done its job then."

He stood up to leave the room when he heard Hermione's quiet voice.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

She was silent for a moment but then answered. "Good night."

Draco paused, unsure of why she had waited for so long to say that.

Instead of asking, he simply muttered "Good night, Hermione," and wandered out the door.

As he shut the door he watched her watching him as he did so. Draco gave her one last smile before finally closing it fully.

Draco couldn't help but think of her parting words. Hermione had looked as if she had wanted to say something else but he wasn't sure what it would have been. As he had his shower, all he could think about was how beautiful she was and how lucky he was that she should be the one who was with him.

He finally finished his shower and after having a shave again he headed off to bed.

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As I say, here is the next part but there is more to come... I have now got quite a few chapters ahead so at least, at this rate, I shall be able to keep writing and hopefully update a bit more often.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story. I truly appreciate it.


	35. Muggle Football Training

Well, thought I would add another chapter... ;-)

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**Chapter 35: ****Muggle Football Training**

The inevitable happened. Two days after Robert had proposed that Draco go to football training, Draco was in fact going to try out for the football teams in the district. He could barely believe it when Robert had said the day before that the organisers of the league were delighted that Robert could coax his good friend's son from Wales into playing for them. Robert had told them not to expect that he would be a world class player because he had only just taken up the sport and wanted to use the league as a trial to see if he could handle it. They didn't mind; it was good that there was another player for their sides.

The league that Robert had chosen consisted of those boys and in some cases girls who were in between leagues. It wasn't that they could not play; it was just that they lacked certain skills to be able to play in the leagues higher up but were too good for the beginner leagues. Nevertheless, they could still hold their own and so he thought that it would be better for Draco to develop his skills at the same pace as people who were at the same level as him than to throw him into the deep end.

Regardless, Draco was ecstatic to be given the chance to play football in a team. He loved playing Quidditch for that reason, despite his fellow Slytherins not being quite so friendly on the ground as the rest of the houses were. Slytherins were known to berate their players if they failed but highly praise them if they succeeded. Potter was the only Seeker who would beat him to the Snitch so he was usually on the receiving end of praise.

When Draco found out, he told Hermione at once that he was going to play in the league.

"Oh Draco!" she had exclaimed. "That's fantastic! I think you'll enjoy it immensely."

"I hope so."

"No, you will. Trust me on that."

"Okay."

She had thrown her arms around him and given him a big kiss. He was still finding it quite hard to believe that he could kiss her at any given time and she wouldn't care but the thought was getting easier and easier to get used to. He loved that thought and knew that she felt the same way.

They hadn't progressed as far as that first night since then but they had also felt that they didn't need to. They were simply enjoying one another's company as they always had and knew that they would progress further when the timing was right.

So now here he was, driving on the way to his first football practice.

"How ready are you?" Robert asked.

"Not at all," Draco muttered in response.

Robert laughed. "You'll be fine. Just say all that I told you and all should be good."

"That's the part I'm worried about. What if they ask more than I prepared for?"

Robert gazed at Draco. "Hermione tells me that Slytherins are cunning. You are a Slytherin, aren't you?"

Draco looked back in shock. It was one thing for Hermione to say that Slytherins were cunning; she went to the same school as him. Hearing Robert say it was an entirely different matter.

"Yes. That's just something I wasn't expecting you to say."

"You see my point, though, don't you?"

"Yes, but the Wizarding World is one thing, the Muggle World is another."

"Hmm. Well, just make something up but for Chrissake, stick to the same story."

"Okay then."

They arrived at the grounds and Robert parked the car in the car park.

"Did you want me to stay or did you want me to go up the street until it's time to pick you up?" he asked.

Draco pondered this for a moment. "Do you think you can stay, at least until I find myself here?"

Robert smiled. "No worries. Just let me know by thumbs up that you're fine. If you wave or do anything else, I won't budge."

"Thanks, Robert."

"Don't mention it. Now, I'll come over and introduce you to the coach who will lead you in the training."

"Okay then."

Robert and Draco wandered over to where a fit-looking middle-aged man stood.

"Robert!" he exclaimed.

"Joel," Robert said by way of greeting. He turned to Draco. "Draco," he said. "This is the coach, Joel Hunter. He will take you through your paces for the training sessions. Joel," he addressed the coach. "This here is the boy I was telling you about, Draco Malfoy. He has shown quite some promise playing in our garden. I wouldn't doubt you'll think similar when you see him on the paddock."

"How are you, Draco?" Joel said, extending his hand in a warm gesture.

Draco hesitantly took it and shook it firmly. He still found Muggle formalities much nicer than Wizarding formalities. "Not bad, thank you."

"Draco, you have an interesting name. Where are the Malfoys from?"

Draco was not sure on how to answer the question. After making a split second decision, he felt that the truth could not hurt in this matter.

"France. My ancestors came over in the 15th century and have been in Great Britain ever since. I have relatives over there, still."

"That explains it then. I suppose your parents are somewhat of traditionalists, then?"

"Very much so."

"Well then, I guess we should get you meeting the others. They are all roughly your age so you should find them easy to get along with. Everyone is roughly at the same level of fitness and ability as well so you won't need to feel that someone is going to get the better of you."

Robert chose that moment to speak. "I'll leave you to it, Draco. I'll be in the car reading the paper if you need anything."

Draco could have almost reached out to prevent the man from going. Being here talking to Joel was alright but the prospect of having to meet a big group of Muggles was quite daunting. Draco wasn't sure why that was the case; he thought it was more to do with meeting a large group of people he knew nothing of. He resigned himself to the fact that he was here to play football and so he should forget about everything else and get on with it.

"No worries, Robert. I'll come over when I'm done."

"Good luck." Robert went and sat back in the car.

"Well, Draco, I'll lead you to the others," Joel said as they walked back to the others. "I don't expect you to remember everyone's name because you'll only be working in smaller groups but you'll at least be able to meet a few of them."

"Okay then."

"Right-o, you'll be training with the Orange side. We don't have names for the sides as such, it's easier to call each team a colour instead. Okay," he said as they reached the rest of the players. "This is Draco everyone. Draco," Joel said, looking at the left-most person, "this is David, Simon, Rhys, Gareth, Nigel, Thomas, Heath, Patrick, Yvonne, Matthias, Jamie and Cindy."

Throughout the introductions, people smiled or stuck out their hands. In fact, everyone seemed to be genuinely friendly on his side. He wondered whether this was true of everyone here at training or if he was lucky enough to score a decent side.

"I'll leave you guys to get sorted, we're going to start some drills shortly," Joel announced.

As soon as he left, the lanky fellow with the short, cropped dark hair called Matthias came up to him. "How are you, Mate?" he asked. "I realise it's a bit daunting being the new bloke in the side but you'll see we're not a bad bunch."

Draco was mildly shocked at the boy's abrupt but friendly nature. "I'm sure you aren't. Give it some time though; it could change," he grinned, showing the dark-haired boy he was joking.

Matthias laughed. "I see we have a prankster here. You'll fit right in here, we all enjoy a laugh. We have to with two females on our side."

"Hey!" the shortish red-haired girl called Cindy fired back at Matthias. "Say that again when I make three passes against you!"

Matthias went slightly red. "Cindy, I was kidding."

"Sure you were, Matty," Cindy replied. "Sure you were. Draco," she turned to face Draco. "Great having another on our side. We were one player short and we needed someone else to substitute for us. It was a bit hard with one player missing for full games."

Draco grinned, inwardly disbelieving how easy it was to get along with this new group of people. "I'll bet."

The rest of the team were fairly quiet during this exchange, either talking amongst themselves or watching for Joel to make an announcement over what they were to do.

Draco was glad of his circumstances now but knew it was only a matter of time that they started asking him personal questions. Questions he didn't really want to be trying to answer right now.

As it was, that time never happened during training since they had all become too busy trying to do all the drills that Joel had set them. If anything, practice was more gruelling than Quidditch practice, something Draco found hard to believe. Flying always took it out of him but not in the same way that football training just did. He found by the end of it he was completely buggered but at least he could now say that he could bounce the football on his head for longer than 10 times. He had only ever been able to do it for about 3 times before he lost his balance. Joel also taught them how to flick-kick it above their heads, something he said would be very handy when dodging opponents. None of them could fully do it by the end but at least they knew the footwork to complete the move.

Draco waved to Robert as he moved across to the car park.

"Hey, see you next week, Draco?" Heath yelled out across the park at him.

"Cheers, Mate. See you then," Draco responded.

"Yeah, nice meeting you," Yvonne called out. "You're part of the crew now."

"Thanks, Yvonne. I'll see you all next week."

Robert started the car while Draco got in. "How was it?" he asked.

Draco couldn't deny it. He smiled and said, "Bloody awesome fun."

Robert chuckled. "I wasn't sure how you were going to go after the last two morning jogs we've done. Although you seemed to be able to do better than me."

"It's not like we've gone on huge strenuous jogs though. Give me one with some uphills and ordinary terrain and it'll be a different story. Remember, I'm used to flying over all of this, not running across it."

"Too true. I might have you there. I did used to do Orienteering when I was in High School."

"Orienteering? What, with a compass and a map?"

"That's it. Great fun, that."

"I've heard of it but I can't say I've done it."

"It's the challenge of being thrown in the middle of nowhere, well, within reason, and seeing a course that might be 20km long and having to find markers along the way through terrain you wouldn't ordinarily think you could get through. Of course, I didn't get into it like I did football but it was still fun all the same. Probably like you with football. You have your favourite in Quidditch but football is still good fun."

"It's probably moreso because it's one of the few sports I've tried. Flying through the air gives a freedom that you can't really imagine getting from anywhere else and nothing else that I've tried in the Wizarding World quite gives that feeling. However, there are some other pastimes I like."

By this point they were not far from home but they were stopped at a set of traffic lights. Robert looked at Draco. "Really? What are they?"

"Skeet shooting."

"You use shotguns in the Wizarding World? I didn't think you would since you have wands."

"You're right, we use our wands. It's one of those things that inevitably happens at gatherings on a weekend at someone's estate. I used to go see my Aunt in Scotland and in summer we would partake in it."

Robert smiled. "You sound so much like me when I was your age. I was much the same, only I used shotguns to do it. I usually tried my hands at anything I could get said hands on. I've tried more sports than I suppose a lot have but I found football was one of the ones I stuck with because skills wise, it always won over the ladies more than other sports." He gave a wink.

Draco laughed. "That's the reason?"

"Partly. It's more appealing for the womenfolk to watch a football player as opposed to a skeet shooter. Don't get me wrong though; skeet shooting has a very loyal following with both men and women. Most people who try their hand at skeet shooting don't knock it afterwards, even if they don't stick with it."

"Yeah, I always enjoyed it. It was relaxing for me."

"That's what I thought. It's funny saying that shooting is relaxing. People who are into shooting know the risks involved in it. That is why sports shooting and shooting in general would probably have the tightest rules enforced than any other pastime. And rightly so; guns in the wrong hands is lethal. I'm assuming it's like that with the Wizarding World. Everyone has a wand but not everyone partakes in Dark Magic. They know the risks and steer clear of it. Most, I realise, not all."

Draco grimaced. He wasn't sure why but the latter that Robert was talking about made him feel uncomfortable. He didn't think Robert meant to talk about it, only as a form of comparison but it hit a bit too close for comfort with him.

"I'm sorry, Robert but I have to say that talking about people performing Dark Magic is a bit raw for me."

"Oh shit, sorry Draco. That was pretty insensitive of me. Don't worry, I won't say anymore."

"You're alright. I know you didn't mean anything by it, it just hits close to home."

"I'm sure it does. As I said, I'll make sure not to mention it again."

"Thanks."

It wasn't long until they had reached the Granger's house. Robert and Draco went inside to see that Jane had left dinner for them in the oven.

As it was, she had left a nice portion of tuna casserole with pineapple. Draco was finding the sensation of eating food he wouldn't normally eat rather nice. Especially since it contained enough rice to replenish some of the energy he had lost during the game. Hermione had made a dessert for that evening as well; a tropical trifle, one of Draco's favourite desserts. He knew he hadn't told her about that but thought that he ought to, since the one she had made tasted so good.

Hermione and Jane weren't there while Draco and Robert ate in mutual silence so he scouted her out after the dishes were done. It turned out that she was making use of the summer light and was sitting outside beside the fishpond with a book in her hand.

"Hey," he kissed her softly on the lips and sat down beside her.

"How was football practice?" Hermione asked.

Draco stared into the fishpond, not sure how to answer the question. So many emotions ran through his head when he was there that finding one word to describe it was quite difficult. "It was... brilliant."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Hermione didn't appear to push for a further response. Instead, she leant over and kissed him. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I bet it's also nice to mix with a lot of people who don't know you, hey?"

"Yeah it was. There was no one who was going to judge me on who my parents are. I could just be me. It was a nice feeling. Everyone was there with two things in mind; have fun and learn some skills."

Hermione sighed. "I like escaping back here for the very same reason. I'm not judged by being Harry's best friend and all. I completely agree."

Draco looked down at Hermione and grinned. It was very easy to get lost in her eyes during moments like these. He moved his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. She snuggled into him and put her head on his chest.

"I could stay like this forever," she mumbled.

Draco laughed, silently agreeing with her.

"How about we go upstairs and I can have a shower?" he suggested.

Hermione smiled. "Okay."

They made their way back inside and headed upstairs. Hermione made to walk to her bedroom when Draco had a sudden urge. He put his hand on her arm and said, "Why don't you come in with me?"

Hermione looked stunned; she opened her mouth to say something and instead said nothing. Draco suddenly wished he hadn't suggested her coming into the bathroom with him; then he realised that she probably was not thinking exactly what he was thinking.

"You don't have to literally come into the shower with me, but I'd be comfortable with you coming into the bathroom with me. That way we can keep talking."

Hermione seemed to relax slightly at this and nodded dumbly.

He still wasn't sure about it but since she agreed he pulled her gently into the bathroom.

Draco had no idea what made him do it and now that she was in there he wasn't sure if he would be comfortable with her being in there. He had forgotten about the very minor detail of having to strip down to have a shower and was now wondering if he could actually do it in front of Hermione. He was someone who was very comfortable with himself and it would not be the first time he had shown himself off to someone but Hermione, it seemed, was not someone. Hermione was Hermione, someone who he knew a lot better than any of those others and someone who he was feeling very, very strongly towards. It was like he would be seeking her approval of him, despite everything that had happened between them.

He noticed that she was looking everywhere else but at him. He knew it would not do for either of them to be in this position and then for both not to feel comfortable.

"Hey," he said softly, moving close to her, "if you really feel uncomfortable being in here you don't have to stay. But I want you to be comfortable seeing me, seeing all of me, because I want to be able to show you who I am, no secrets."

Hermione looked at him with a newfound look in her eyes that Draco did not recognise. She reached around his neck and pulled him down to her to kiss him passionately, slowly snaking her other arm around him to fully embrace him.

_I will never tire of this, _he thought, as he playfully kissed her bottom lip and ran his tongue across it, relishing the reaction that she gave. He was greeted with the same treatment in response, feeling a shiver of his own run up his back. He could feel something stirring deep within him and knew that if he didn't stop it he would be seriously embarrassed.

Eventually, he pulled himself back reluctantly and looked at Hermione. Her eyes darted downwards briefly and by the wry grin on her face he knew that she knew the reason why he had stopped.

_Too late,_ he thought, smiling embarrassedly.

"You better have your shower," she said with a quirk of her eyebrow. "I won't leave." She turned serious. "In fact, I feel very touched that you want to do that and for the reasons that you want to. It's a very honest response."

Draco smiled. _So that explains her reaction._

His eyes did not leave hers as he pulled off his T-shirt. He watched as her eyes darted down to his navel and back up to his eyes. Suddenly he was very nervous but knew that it would not do to back out now. It was something that he had to do. Slowly, he pulled his track-suit pants down and was left standing in his boxer shorts. Hermione's reaction gave him sufficient reason not to feel self-conscious any longer. It was all he could do to stop and walk back to her and kiss her again. He had to keep going.

_One more step._

Draco felt for the band on his boxer shorts and slipped his thumbs in each side. Just like he did with his track-suit pants, he pulled his boxers completely off.

His first thought was to reach down and pull them back up again as quick as he could but it would be pointless now if he did. Besides, Hermione was eyeing him up and down, pausing at his mid-section each time. Thank God he didn't have the reaction that he had not one minute before. It seemed nerves took that feeling away as quick as it had arrived.

Draco knew his body wasn't what every girl dreamt of, or at least what he thought they dreamt of, despite his face being, well, not bad on the eyes. He was lean and somewhat muscular, although not like Bruce Willis, he didn't think. But he was happy in his skin and knew that he could do everything that he needed to do. The hikes that he and his mother used to do across the Malfoy estate proved that he could carry significant loads without being overly burdened.

Yet all of this didn't diminish his wonder at exactly what it was that he had just done. Now that he had done it, he felt relieved.

That was it. There was nothing else he needed to show Hermione. She knew everything now. At least, he thought she knew everything. If she didn't, she certainly knew just about all.

He looked at her properly. She appeared to be in somewhat of disbelief. He couldn't exactly blame her; he certainly hadn't thought he would have done that this morning. Neither, it seemed, did she. However, the look on her face was not one of anything less than satisfaction.

Draco felt exhilarated. He quirked his eyebrow and gave her a challenging look then turned around to the shower. He ran the water so that it was the right temperature and stepped in, only turning around once fully immersed. Just before the steam fogged the glass up, he managed to make out Hermione's look of... something... desire maybe? Something anyway that wasn't normally painted on her face.

He smiled to himself. It wasn't something that a Slytherin would do; a Gryffindor maybe, but not a Slytherin. He had obviously taken a leaf out of her book.

The hot water relieved the forgotten pain of football training, causing Draco to remember what it was that had given him the aches in the first place.

His first football training with others. It felt so good to have a clean slate with other people. He knew that something would have to be done about what he was going to tell people when they asked him questions but that would be decided at a later date. All he really wanted to be thinking about now was Hermione, who was sitting on the bathroom vanity.

Somehow the conversation that he thought he would have with her while he was showering went by the wayside. He didn't quite anticipate the shift in moods that had occurred prior to them coming into the bathroom. It didn't matter; it was pleasant knowing what just happened didn't throw her. It seemed to have the opposite effect, if anything. He probably shouldn't have expected anything less but he really, really didn't want to ruin what he and Hermione had because of doing something stupid or the like.

He turned the shower off and stepped out.

Hermione handed him his towel but not before making sure she had a really good look at him first.

"So, do I pass?" he asked, only half jokingly.

She smiled at him and nodded. "Of course, you do. You would pass even if you had a scar running down your chest. It would show that you are human, after all." Something in her seemed to stir. "Speaking of scars," and she nudged Draco to turn him around. He felt soft fingertips run down his back to the point of... Oh Shit. She found THAT scar.

"What is it?" she asked in concern.

He didn't know how to answer that one. He was more humiliated in that one encounter with his drunk and very pissed off father than he dared to imagine. It had happened after one of his father's expeditions in the south of the Amazon where Draco's sole task was to ensure that the Order did not discover the true reason for their being down there. He did not know how they had discovered that but somehow they did. It was he who had received the punishment.

"I did something, or rather, didn't do something, and it displeased my father. The Order found out about an expedition that I was supposed to keep from them and because they found out, I received the punishment."

Hermione came around him after his explanation. She looked close to tears. "Oh Draco," she muttered softly.

She had obviously forgotten about his standing with only a towel in his hand because she moved forward and kissed him. After a moment, she seemed to realise and stepped back to allow Draco to put the towel around him. Draco looked at her as she did so. Her teary eyes were soon replaced with ones filled with that same look that had been there before he stepped into the shower.

"I can't believe you just did that for me," she said after a moment.

Draco laughed. "You're disbelieving it! What about me?"

"But you truly felt you needed to; it's very touching."

A sudden wave of humbleness came over him and he found himself speechless. In response, Hermione pulled at the towel that was around him and let it fall to the floor. She traced the muscles of his abdomen with a look of interest, not fully realising the reaction that was stirring within him as she did so. It took all of his effort not to let it show so obviously. Still, she continued tracing his muscles with the tips of her fingers, moving her way up to his chest. Her fingers lingered in the spot in the middle of his chest where the hair was beginning to grow and she smiled.

"What?" he asked her quietly.

"You've got some chest hair," she giggled. "And, it's light brown, which is even harder to believe. I think it's nice."

"You do?"

"I've got to admit, I don't mind chest hair. It's manly."

"Manly?" he was not sure what to make of that. "Is that a good thing?"

"Of course, it is. All of the good looking guys have some chest hair. It's very becoming."

"Right."

Her fingers continued their way up towards his face and she ran her fingers along his chin over his stubble, causing her to giggle again.

"You're becoming a man, Draco. I like it," she said.

"I'm glad you do. I can't really do anything about it, regardless," he muttered in response.

"Anyone who says different doesn't know what a real man is like."

No response seemed like the best response as he let her talk about the benefits of chest hair and stubble and everything else that brings a boy into the world of being a man. Draco stood still as Hermione continued to trace lines over his body when he realised her fingers were continuing down again towards his lower torso. He suddenly remembered that he was very much exposed in every possible way and her fingertips were making this extremely hard to keep his composure.

A groan escaped his lips and she looked up at him. Her eyes narrowed in a challenge and her grin became even more pronounced.

_Oh dear God, what's she going to do?_

His obvious enjoyment appeared to have given her confidence in whatever she was thinking of doing. Soon, she had him in both hands, tracing the same patterns over him that she had done with the rest of his body, causing a growl to escape from deep within him. This brought another challenging look to her face.

Draco wasn't sure if she knew exactly how good it felt but was sure that it was plastered across his face fairly obviously. He resisted every urge to use his own hands because he knew that it would not be good to do that, not ever. He could feel himself reaching the point of no return, rather quicker than he normally would have, which surprised him. He was not sure if it was what she was after.

Remembering the towel in his hands, he thrust it into place between himself and her to protect her just in time. His knees almost buckled under the sheer pleasure of it all as he groaned at the build up of three weeks of frustration released in a matter of seconds. Obviously, it was what she was after. He felt her hands move from him to around his back to support him as he leant his head on her shoulder, not capable of doing or saying anything else.

He slowly built up the strength to wipe himself off with the towel before looking at her.

"How was it?" she asked, almost timidly.

After he was satisfied with the towel, he pulled her into a close embrace and whispered, "You have no idea just how good that was."

"I have some idea."

He pulled back. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I know. I'm not sure what made me do it either. I think it was just everything that has happened. But just remember, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to."

"I know that, I just hoped you didn't think it was too soon."

"So long as you don't expect it every night."

Draco laughed. "I don't expect it at all. It's not the reason why I'm with you. Being with you is reward enough. I know that might sound cliché but it's true."

Hermione didn't seem to know what to say to that, so instead opted to put her arms around him again and kiss him. "Thank you."

"No, thank you."

She pulled back and grabbed another towel out of the cupboard. She unravelled it and used it to mop up the parts of him that were still wet from the shower, such as his back and his chest.

"Now, you certainly didn't have to do that," he muttered dryly.

"I know, but it feels nice to."

She finished mopping up his body and moved the towel to his head. Draco hesitated for a moment before lowering his head to allow her free access to the exposed part of him that he normally took great pride in.

Hermione gave a small grin before taking to his hair with the towel. She appeared to really be enjoying herself and when she pulled the towel off his head, she laughed.

"Have a look in the mirror," she said.

Draco turned to the mirror and saw what she was laughing at. His hair was standing up completely at the back and the front wasn't much better. Laughing himself, he flattened it enough to make it appear like he had just got out of the water and had given it a quick comb-through with his fingers.

"Now THAT looks good," she nodded approvingly.

He laughed and pulled her in for another kiss. He just couldn't get enough of those, it seemed.

"How about we go to bed?" he asked.

"Sure. You don't mind if I sleep in my bed tonight, do you?"

"Of course not. I know too much of a good thing too quickly can make things turn sour. As I said, I can't believe you did what you did, I certainly wasn't expecting it."

"Neither was I. I'm not sure if it will happen so quickly next time."

"I don't expect it to. Goodnight, Hermione," he muttered quietly before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight, Draco. See you tomorrow."

Draco watched her wander into her bedroom and close the door, watching him as she did so. He then made his own way to his bedroom and put on his pyjamas.

He couldn't believe what had happened tonight. He was sure a repeat of it wouldn't be happening soon but that didn't matter to him. He felt proud of himself to having exposed all of himself, not just his body, to her like that. Especially after the explanation of the scar on his back, the one that he would rather forget about completely but knew that it would not happen.

He felt that she had exposed herself a bit as well; he noticed that she seemed to enjoy taking on a caring role, such as when she was towelling him off. Not to mention the obvious other preferred pastime.

He couldn't wait to see her tomorrow and wondered what on earth might happen in between jogging, football and reading.

* * *

Well, a bit more than I originally thought would happen between the two but hey, a little bit of fun never hurt anyone!

Any questions, you know where to find me.


	36. Reminiscence

**Chapter 36: Reminiscence**

Hermione woke the next morning in a state of utter shock. Had she really done what she had done the previous night? Furthermore, Draco had been so humbled by the fact that she had done it in the first place. He exposed himself so much, not just in the literal sense but he exposed his entire self to her last night that she couldn't help but feel so touched about what he had done, it was an incredible feeling. The trust that he had for her was very powerful and she knew that no one in her entire life would ever have the same kind of trust for her that he did.

It just reinforced the fact that she loved him. She had wanted to tell him that a couple of nights ago, after he and her father had played the backyard football game. She stopped herself, probably because she didn't want to be hanging out on a limb. Little did she realise that he would do not that but something so much more that it seemed rather silly to feel that she might have been left on a limb. She knew that the next time she would see him she could say it and it wouldn't be something that she would have to worry about feeling silly.

When first he suggested that she come into the bathroom with him she wasn't sure what he wanted. After he made it clear that he didn't want anything else except to continue their conversation she knew that it would be okay. Funnily enough, the conversation never continued. She couldn't bring herself to look at him and so when he explained to her that he wanted her to be comfortable with all of him she had felt quite humbled by his truthful answer. Especially at the obvious discomfort that he had tried to cover up as he did so made her feel that what he was doing he would never do with anyone else. She felt so moved by his actions that kissing him seemed the right thing to do.

After she watched him undress, she couldn't help but stare at what was in front of her. A teenager who was very much becoming a man, much like she was becoming a woman, who was not overly muscular but that would come with time. The faint traces of chest hair had already started and so had a small amount of stubble that had come through. She hadn't noticed stubble on him before, making her realise that he shaved fairly regularly. He was a picture of elegance and grace yet he was still male in every sense of the word.

Yes, her eyes passed over his obvious parts. She knew from experience that he was not the biggest she had seen yet he wasn't the smallest, either. It was nice to know that he wasn't some super-human being that everyone made him out to be.

It was when he turned around to have the shower that she noticed the thing that disrupted this somewhat picture perfect image in front of her. One huge, long scar passed down from his left shoulder blade to just below his right lateral muscle, about one foot in length and as obvious as a scar left from major surgery. Knowing that magic would have been all around him as he was growing up, she couldn't help but wonder what would cause such a large scar to stay with him. It made her mentally reach out to him that he would have put up with pain that caused him the scar that he had.

When she had traced the scar with her finger after he had got out of the shower, she felt him go rigid beneath her touch. After she asked him about it, his obvious discomfort at answering showed that it was a very raw topic for him. The fact that he answered her further proved the trust he had in her.

She couldn't help but kiss him at that. He had laughed off her disbelief that he had just showered in front of her and exposed his all to her but she could not shake his trust for her. Trust being such a powerful thing, and to have complete trust in someone was something that she did not want to break.

Not knowing exactly what she was doing, Hermione had grabbed his towel and gently undone it, letting it fall to the floor. What had happened afterwards was something that she was not thinking that she would have done but after having done it, she had felt that it was like a thank you for everything that he had shown to her. She knew how hard the weeks were for him, despite the fact that they were obviously together but she still knew how hard it all was for him. She also didn't think that he would mind what she had done, and knew that he would know that it wasn't going to be an everyday thing. She knew what she was doing, having played trial and error with Victor during their previous summer. It was nice to know that she could do something for him that she was sure he wasn't thinking she would do or had done before.

If anything, she had also wanted to see what she could do for him because she still felt a little bit disbelieving that it was Draco Malfoy who was standing in front of her like this. As selfish as that was, she wanted to watch him enjoy what she was doing for him. It had felt so right to do it and she soon started thinking of if the roles were reversed and it was him doing to her what she was doing to him.

After he reached the point of no return, she almost brought herself to the same point just by mere thoughts. She wasn't sure if he would know the true reason why she wanted to go to bed by herself but thought that maybe he didn't, judging by the reaction that he had given her. It didn't matter; she knew that he was right in saying what he did as well because she also knew that having too much of a good thing in one go would not be so good later on.

She loved him so much and didn't want to spoil it if she could help it. She knew that whilst they would not go fully back to how it was pre-last night, they would be able to take things slowly to ensure that they did not get too far ahead of themselves.

Hermione could not wait to see him this morning. All she wanted to do was fling her arms around his neck and kiss him, by way of showing him greeting and to let him know that she was fine with everything that had happened the night before.

A knock on her door startled her and brought her back to the present.

"Come in," she said.

She needed not guess who was behind the door; a very ruffled but happy looking Draco Malfoy was standing behind the door.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said quietly.

"Of course not. Come in," she replied.

Draco wandered across to her bed and laid down beside her. In response, Hermione leant against his chest and put her arm across him.

"I could stay like this forever," she mused.

Draco laughed softly. "I'll ensure you'll be able to."

Hermione grinned and curled up further. Yes, she could definitely stay like that. She didn't want to go so far as saying she was used to it because she knew how quickly things could change, but she wasn't in such disbelief at the situation any longer. Besides which, she had better things to think about, like the blonde-haired teenage boy comforting her.

They stayed like that for the better part of the morning, or at least for a good hour or more, dozing quietly together. It was so relaxing and such a change from the previous night's show of trust, passion and everything else that they both knew that they didn't need to frenzied-filled nights to show their love for one another because it was exactly that. Not that either had said anything but still, the thought was there.

After an hour longer, Draco's sudden movement caused Hermione to stir herself.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He only grumbled. Smiling, she realised that he just jerked in his sleep. However, she was already awake and thought it only best to get up.

She had just alighted from the bed when she heard a very sleepy, "Do I have to get up?"

"No, you don't have to. But I think I should."

Draco yawned and stretched. "That jog took a bit out of me, I think."

"Yeah? It might have something to do with football practice, more like."

"I think a combination of things, really. I'm a bit tender all over. I feel like the Hogwarts Express has passed across me a bit."

"Oh, you'll be okay. How about you take it easy today? Just have a sit-down and read something maybe."

"Yeah, I might do that. Your father mentioned a book the other night called Lord of the Rings? Have you read it?"

Hermione laughed. "You know, for all of the books that I have read in our study and what you've seen me read at Hogwarts, I have not read The Lord of the Rings."

Draco quirked his eyebrow. "Your father said that. Why?"

"I think it was because my parents thought even though it was a young child's book, it was really only understandable for teenagers and by that stage I had so much other stuff to read for school that I never got around to reading it."

"Wow. I still can't believe you haven't read something. Miracles do happen, then."

"Oh, Draco!" Hermione play-slapped him softly across his arm, causing Draco to laugh more.

"Well, how about it if I read it and then you can?" he suggested.

"Fair enough. I am yet to finish the book I'm reading anyway. Looks like today is going to be an incredibly lazy day today."

"Nothing wrong with that. Every now and then we need them. Especially with what happens in our World during the year. I like the idea of having a relaxing summer. It makes for a peaceful change."

Hermione looked at Draco. He was smiling but she knew that he wasn't joking about anything. Their school years were dramatic and they were only going to get more dramatic in the next year.

She pulled him out of bed towards her and kissed him. "You're wonderful, did you know that?" she asked.

He looked up in thought. "Hmm, now that you mention it," he grinned, causing her to grin in response.

"But you are. Draco Malfoy, you are truly an incredible person."

"Really, now you're just embarrassing me."

"But it's true. Draco Lucius Malfoy. Who would have thought?"

Draco looked at her in disbelief. "Lucius? How did you know my middle name was Lucius?"

Hermione laughed. "My middle name is Jane. I heard it being rattled off somewhere I think. I'm not too sure where but it's like mine."

"I'm not that impressed with my middle name, to be perfectly honest."

"Don't think of it as your father's name, think of it as your middle name only. Draco Lucius Malfoy, it sounds quite lovely when put together like that."

"That's just because you're saying it. Words sound like music when you speak them."

"Now you're embarrassing _me_."

Draco pulled her in for a hug. "'But it's true', I believe, is the correct response to that."

"Thank you. Despite our animosity growing up, I loved hearing your name. It was always quite exotic to me. Much better than plain-old English names."

"Yeah?"

"I did."

"Hmph."

They were silent for a few moments when Hermione felt her stomach rumble.

"Come on, she gently insisted, "we better go have something to eat."


	37. The Following Weekend

Hey all! I hope this hasn't taken too long for some. I really should have updated this sooo long ago but didn't. I hope it sounds alright!

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**Chapter 37: ****The Following Weekend**

(End of fourth week)

After discovering a very hidden talent of Hermione's the other night, Draco knew that he should not expect it to happen for a long time, nor, if he were to be honest with himself, did he think it would be a good idea, anyway. He could not kid himself; what Hermione did for him was possibly one of the best stress relievers she could possibly have done, but he also knew that it wasn't simply that. It was a show that she wanted to care for him, as strange as that sounded, and that she felt comfortable enough to carry out something that some people regard as a careless action but in that context, it was something incredibly personal.

That's why he knew that he would not push her and knew that they should really spend the next few weeks of summer just enjoying one another's company and not get too carried away with things. He wanted to hear more about the Muggle World and for her to take him places that ordinarily he would not be able to go. Football gave him an outlet that catered for his sporting side, and it was something Muggle, at that. However, culturally, he really wanted to immerse himself into the Muggle World, to embrace it as a way to start again with people who didn't know his background and didn't have prejudices towards him.

Football practice was such a nice change that he wanted to have more. He was hearing of all of these places that he could visit from the television and the newspapers, to the point where he was starting to get itchy feet and simply wanted to see everything at once.

"Patience, Draco," Hermione assured him when Saturday morning came. "We'll see many things. Mum said that she would take us to the station and we can see where we want to go."

"I would really love to see some of the Muggle countryside, actually," Draco said after thinking it through a bit. "I realise I haven't seen anything much Muggle outside of London now. Could we perhaps go somewhere?"

Hermione pulled him close to her and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course we can. We could always have a picnic, if you like. I haven't had a picnic in a long time and I think it would complement the trip to the country nicely."

"Picnic? Geez, it's been years since I've done anything like that. I think I was only 12 when I last went on one. I would like that."

They went down to the kitchen and started packing some things to take out with them. Jane had gone shopping only the night before and so there were plenty of snacks and enough bread for sandwiches. Hermione also grabbed a mild bottle of cider from the cellar that would go well with the picnic.

"Isn't that alcohol?" Draco asked cautiously.

Hermione brought the bottle up closer so that the label was clearly seen. "It's only very mild. It just has a very small alcoholic content to it. Of course, you can get it a lot stronger than this."

"Yeah, I think the Strongbows were pretty strong."

"They would have been. This cider is good that it's not that strong. I admit I'm not really into drinking alcoholic drinks, forgetting that I probably shouldn't anyway."

"No, I had the odd wine at dinner with Mother but never really any more than that."

"I'm sure you have had some nice wines with your dinner."

"None outstanding, although there was a really nice vintage from my ancestors' estate in France that I haven't topped yet. It wasn't strong but it was very fruity and sweet. It went well with whatever the elves had prepared for dinner."

"Mmm, fruity. Speaking of fruit, we have some that we can take."

Hermione grabbed some pieces of fruit and put them in the basket with the rest of the food. She went around to the other side of the bench and opened a cupboard that Draco had never realised was there. She pulled out plastic items that it appeared were to be used for such occasions as these.

Placing them in the basket as well, Hermione grabbed a tea towel and covered the lot before asking, "Shall we go?"

Draco grinned at her, thinking just how beautiful she looked with her hair that way and the picnic basket she was carrying.

"Of course."

"Mum, can you take us to the train station?" Hermione called to Jane, who was busy folding up washing.

"Yes, just a minute while I put this washing in everyone's rooms."

"I'll get our washing, Mum."

"That would help, thank you."

"Draco, do you want to get yours and I'll get mine?" Hermione asked.

Draco was getting used to helping out around the house but every now and then still found it strange that he was; old habits die hard.

"Of course."

Between the three of them, the washing was put away quickly and they were soon on their way to the train station.

As they were pulling out of the drive, not one of them noticed a tawny owl carrying a letter fly in through the open kitchen window.

***

Hermione and Draco spent all day enjoying the day outside of Portsmouth, towards the south of England. It was an area of England that Draco had never been before and it was made all the better by having Hermione with him to enjoy it as well. They spent a good portion of the day sitting around reading or chatting about different things that were in the area, and they had a good laugh when two young folk walked past with typical boyfriend/girlfriend troubles and reminisced that that was exactly how they acted prior to them realising how they felt for one another.

"It was like 'One Fine Day', wouldn't you agree?" Hermione asked.

"Oh dear God, you had to bring that movie up, didn't you?" Draco groaned.

"Oh come off it, you liked it, I know you did. You thought Michelle Pfeiffer was alright, true?"

Draco laughed. "Yes, true. For an older woman, yes, she certainly is. But, I'm happy being right here with you, unless of course, she happened to walk down here and ask for coffee."

"Ha! I knew you were waiting for someone better to come along!" Hermione giggled.

"What about you? If George Clooney happened across our path right now, what would you do?"

"Ooh, good point."

"See?"

"Okay then."

Draco quirked his eyebrow. "Come here," he urged gently, pulling Hermione towards him. "I love being with you, I hope you know that."

Hermione kissed him gently. "Of course I do. And I love being with you, too."

"I've really enjoyed myself here. It's such a nice way to pass the day. Just me, and my girl, and a picnic in the park."

"'My girl', hey? Well, my boy, except it doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?"

"No, how about you call me, your saviour, your light?" Draco laughed, knowing that Hermione would take the bait, and loved every minute of it.

"Ha! Only in your dreams, Draco Lucius Malfoy."

Draco's eyes went wide. "It sounds so good when you say my name like that."

"Like what? I was making a point."

"Just saying my name. It's great to hear it from your mouth because you aren't saying it sarcastically or when I'm in trouble."

Hermione laughed. "I know what you mean. I only ever heard my full name when I was being told off as well. It must be an adult thing. God help me if I do that with my children one day."

"You know, chances are you will because that is the only way you know how. Don't get me wrong; I know that I will not teach my children the same things my father taught, or rather, forced upon me, but my mother, well, I will teach them everything she taught me."

"I think that's wise. Hearing you talk to me about your mother like that, I only wish I could meet her away from everything that has been going on. I would really like to do that."

Draco was beside himself. He had been thinking similar lines as well but never got around to voicing them. He had hoped that Hermione would like to meet his mother, despite knowing that there was past animosity between them but he knew that that was only because of who his mother was married to. As he knew himself, his mother had different opinions about Muggle-borns to his father and Hermione was no exception. Narcissa Malfoy made no secret after Lucius was incarcerated that Hermione Granger was a very talented witch. Especially now, he knew that she would be extremely happy for him and knew that she herself would like to meet Hermione one day, too.

"She'd like that," he said finally.

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course, she has always said that you were extremely talented and besides, do you think I would have pursued you if I didn't think she would approve? Don't get me wrong; she would never have disapproved but I value my mother's opinion very highly."

"That's natural. As I'm sure you know, I value my parents' opinions as well."

"Your father, I have to say his opinion is one I will take any day over my father's. That's mad, I know but you are very lucky to have a father like that."

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. Draco cursed himself inwardly for allowing it to happen.

He gently pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't say that."

"It's alright, I guess I just never know what to say to something like that."

"It's not something that you can say much to and it's not good that I put you in that position. How about we forget I said anything like that and move on?"

Hermione smiled. "Okay."

They changed topics for another hour or so when they thought that they had probably better head home. They packed up their picnic blanket and food and put everything back in the basket and eventually made their way back to the Grangers' house by mid-afternoon.

They did not get far up the drive when Jane came running toward them with a concerned look on her face. Draco didn't need to hear what had happened; Jane was looking straight at him.

"I'm sorry Draco," she said. "Your mother was attacked last night."


	38. Narcissa's Plight

Hi all! I wish to say quite a few things before you read the next chapter of Summer With The Grangers. Firstly, if you have stuck with it up to now I commend you. I started writing this story 6 years ago and due to changes in the storyline of JK Rowling's story, as well as writer's block, not to mention the amount of time that my university studies and full time work commitments took up, I just haven't finished it yet. Excuses? Maybe. But I never intended on abandoning this story. This is my first really decent fic and so I intend to finish it. We are getting to be finishing the story, I guarantee it. And because I've been started writing more of it lately, I am uploading another chapter. It should have been uploaded months ago but unfortunately it just never was.

So I apologise for the time taken in writing this story, and I hope you are still with me. If not, I can't expect you to be really, as I said, it has been 6 years. But I would very much like it if you stayed with it. This is a lot longer than I ever thought it would be, which is a testament to what I am actually capable of as well as a sheer underestimation of how much was involved in writing a decent story. I admit, my writing at the start was at best okay and at worst pretty hopeless in terms of formatting. But I hope that this won't deter you from reading. I assure you; it really did improve up to this point, and as I have written about 5 more chapters than what I've uploaded, it's gotten better and better each chapter.

So, without further ado, I give you Chapter 38 of Summer With The Grangers.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 38: Narcissa's Plight**

Hermione looked at Draco. His already pale face was drained of whatever colour the day had brought. He looked like he was going to be ill and he was staring blankly back at Jane, trying to grasp what was being said.

"Come inside," Jane said, taking Draco around the shoulders and guiding him toward the door. "Hermione, follow me and I'll explain everything that happened."

Jane guided them both inside and they all made their way into the living room. Jane sat Draco down on the couch, where Draco continued to stare into space. Hermione wasn't sure whether he really wanted to hear what had happened but knew that eventually, he would have to know what had happened and if she was alright. Christ, she certainly did; she felt sick enough without worrying about how Draco was feeling. That just made her feel ten times worse.

Jane started to speak. "They caught her on her own in the middle of Diagon Alley, apparently. I believe the Aurors caught whoever attacked her but the attackers cornered her and performed a curse on her, I believe it is a torture curse, am I correct?" Hermione nodded, not wanting to know but at the same time, wanting to know, how this was affecting Draco. "They tried and tried to get her to say where you were kept but she refused to let on any piece of information. Instead, she held her head high and remained silent whilst the curse was being performed. In broad daylight, too! The Aurors couldn't believe that they would do it then. It was only because one of them was doing a random patrol of a place called Bordi and Burkes, I'm not sure if that was the name but something similar, and that they heard muffled voices around the next corner. He immediately called for backup and the four Aurors were able to fend off the attackers. But your mother was unconscious. She has been in the Wizard hospital ever since last night."

Draco did not move. Hermione didn't even know if he had heard anything about what had happened.

"I have to go to the hospital," he announced suddenly.

"Draco," Hermione warned, "that is where they will expect to find you."

"But they would have Aurors looking after her. Hermione, I have not asked much of you and your family in the last couple of weeks but I have to now. Please take me to see my mother."

Hermione looked into his eyes and all she could see was a gentle pleading that she could not bear to look at. "Oh Draco," she muttered, pulling him towards her and stroking his hair. "I will see what we can do but we will need help in getting there."

"We can take you so far, if you like," Jane replied with some urgency. "I don't pretend to know what you are going through, Draco, but I understand why you wish to go to the hospital. I would do the same if I were in your position."

Draco looked at Jane and whispered, "Thank you."

They all got into the car and Robert, who had already known what the problem was, said that he would drive them and let Jane and Hermione be there for Draco. It took about an hour to get there by car but it seemed like longer for everyone. Dumbledore had said in the letter that he would help them out where he could and so when the decision was made to go to St. Mungo's, Hermione resorted to magic for the first time that summer and sent forward a Patronus with her voice telling Dumbledore that they would be in front of St. Mungo's in the hour. She knew that she wouldn't get caught by the Ministry after what Ginny had told her at the meeting but it still felt weird performing magic in the confines of her house, since normally she wasn't allowed to, and she thought that it would be best not to have to do it again because it broke with the rest of the feeling of being at home. However, this situation called for it.

Dumbledore was there by the time they arrived and he helped them pass through the wards of the building.

"It does not look good, Jane," Dumbledore informed them all.

"I don't think that's what Draco wants to hear," Jane warned him.

"I have always believed in not beating around the bush with such circumstances. There is no point lying about something when it may not be true."

Jane pushed further. "I agree normally but couldn't it have waited until he sees for himself?"

Dumbledore had the grace to look embarrassed. "Alas, you are correct. My judgement is waning, I admit. I apologise, Draco, but I honestly thought I was acting with the best intentions."

Draco didn't say anything but only glared at Dumbledore. Hermione didn't like seeing Draco upset like that but knew she would feel the same way if she were in his position.

Dumbledore appeared not to have seen Draco's face because he started rattling off instructions.

"No one in this hospital except those who need to know is aware that Draco has been staying with you. Therefore, I will be putting an Invisible Charm on you all and only those who need to know will be able to see you. Do not feel alarmed, Mr and Mrs Granger," he assured, seeing the looks on Robert and Jane's faces, "for it is something you will not feel and people will be compelled to walk around you, so you do not have to fear people running into you. This is for your protection and to ensure that everything runs smoothly whilst you are in there."

They made their way into the hospital where mediwitches and wizards were busy running around with folders in hand and calling instructions to people.

"Ah, Dumbledore," one brightly-dressed witch said as she approached. "Right this way; I understand why you are here. The Aurors are where you instructed them to be."

The witch led them into the lift where they were taken to the Special Patients ward that require full-time attention around the clock. Three Aurors were situated outside the door and they nodded to Dumbledore and the others as they made their way into the room. Narcissa Malfoy was propped up in bed by a few pillows, surrounded by three medi-staff with notepads and muttering amongst themselves.

"Mr Malfoy," an older, kind-looking wizard announced when he saw Draco. "I want to let you know that your mother is in a critical condition but it has not worsened in the time that she has been in here. She not only received the Cruciatus Curse for considerably longer than what is deemed recoverable, but she also received a number of other smaller, but still lethal dark curses around her chest and neck. She is a remarkable woman, Mr Malfoy; any other person and they would no longer be with us. Your mother, however, has managed to remain in the same state for the last 24 hours. That is our most critical time period. I do not want to say anything too soon but at this point, it looks like her condition will not worsen."

Draco looked at the doctor and then looked back at Narcissa. He stared at her for a long time before finally sitting down on a chair beside her. Hermione didn't know what to do until she felt a gentle nudge from behind.

"Hermione," Jane whispered. "You need to help Draco out now. Ask him if he wants you to stay with him but whatever you do, you cannot leave him in the hospital. Nor can we, either. But you, in particular. Give him his privacy if he wants it but make sure he knows that you will still be with him. And remember, he will have your support but you will have ours. If you need to talk, we will be there just as much."

Hermione nodded dumbly. She had been in the hospital wing before with Harry or Ron at Hogwarts but never had she been in the equivalent of I.C.U. of a hospital before. It was not a nice feeling, to say the least.

She wandered slowly over to Draco and sat down beside him.

"Draco, I'm here for you," she said softly. "I'll always be here for you. What do you want me to do?"

Draco looked slowly at Hermione as if seeing her for the first time.

"I – I don't know," he stammered. "I – I think I just need to be alone with Mother right now."

"Then I'll leave you with her. I'll be in the waiting room if you need me. The mediwitches will know where to find me."

Draco leant his head against Hermione's shoulder until he finally let her go. "Thank you."

Hermione left Draco with Narcissa and watched him watch his mother and hold her hand while she slept. It was gut-wrenching to have to watch it but she knew there was nothing more that she could do while Draco wanted to be alone, and so she left him be.

She wandered back out into the waiting room where her mother and father were sitting.

"How is he?" Jane asked.

"As anyone would in his situation," Hermione responded blandly.

"He's already been through so much; this is the last thing he needs."

"Why was she on her own?" Hermione asked. "What on earth made her think she wouldn't be attacked?"

"I believe that she refused to have someone follow her every step of her life, simply because by being in Diagon Alley, she didn't think anyone would attack her in broad daylight. At least, that is what I think was running through her mind at the time."

"Poor Draco," Robert muttered. "I remember seeing my father sitting there after his heart operation. That was bad enough. This must be horrifying."

Hermione could do nothing and instead leant back in the chair and slowly drifted off to sleep.

After finally drifting off to sleep amidst all the chaos, it appeared that Hermione was being woken again.

A small, youngish mediwitch peered down at her.

"Miss Granger," she asked. "Mr Malfoy wishes for you to be with him."

Hermione sat up and realised that her mother was missing.

"Where's Mum?" she asked Robert.

Robert sighed. "She had to go to work."

Hermione was baffled. "Work? What time is it?"

"2:15, it was an emergency."

"My God, how long was I asleep for?"

"About three hours."

"I better go in to see Draco."

"I'll still be here."

"Thanks Dad."

"You're welcome."

Hermione followed the mediwitch back into Narcissa's room and sat down again beside Draco. This time, he did not look up at her, nor did his hand move from his mother's.

"Draco," Hermione whispered softly.

Draco didn't respond. Instead, he continued to stare at his mother and not move a muscle.

Hermione sat silent for a few minutes longer, wondering why on earth Draco called her in if he did not wish to look at her.

She started to get up when she felt a firm grip on her arm. Looking down, she saw a desperate-looking Draco staring up into her eyes.

"Please don't go," he pleaded. "I just don't know what to do. I have never seen her like this."

"I don't know what to do either," Hermione answered pitifully.

"I can't help but feel terrible for her. What on earth was she doing by herself anyway?"

Hermione was about to answer when something inside her made her stop. He had said it quite softly, as if to himself, to begin with. She soon realised it was actually a rhetorical question; one that was not supposed to have an answer, or at least, one that Draco didn't want to hear.

She sat back down and just watched Draco watch Narcissa. She knew that there was not a lot she could do except be there with him when Narcissa finally woke up.

The mediwizard doing the last round had said that Narcissa's condition had improved slightly but it might be a few more days before she regained consciousness. Hermione knew that Draco would want to be there when she finally did and so excused herself from Draco for a moment to go see her father and tell him the prognosis.

"I'll have to go to work too, Sweetie," he said. "Your mother said that she would get the next couple of days off to help you out. Unfortunately, I can't do that."

"That's alright. I'll stay here with Draco and I'll just hear from either you or Mum."

"We'll keep in touch during the day regardless. I'll have to go shortly but your mother will return before too long."

"Okay then." Something twigged in Hermione's mind, now that the worst of the problem was over. "Dad, how did Mum go to work if you both came in the car?"

Robert stifled a laugh and instead answered simply, "Dumbledore took her back home."

Hermione was dumbstruck. "What, you mean Disapparated both her and himself?"

"It appears so."

"Wow, I bet she has never felt anything like that before."

"No, I can't say she would have found it comfortable, but still, the situation called for it and so she took it."

"Hmph."

"You better go back to Draco. It seems like you will just be playing the waiting game from now on."

"Yeah. I don't know how I will go."

"You'll do okay. You have to. We all do. So we keep going ahead with things."

"True."

"There are always places to walk if you need to stretch your legs for five minutes. Draco will understand. Maybe even try to get him to walk around; sitting down for any period of time will not be comfortable."

"Okay. I'm not sure if I will be able to convince him to."

"Ask one of the staff to help you. If Narcissa is truly over the worst of it, five minutes away from her bedside will do him some good, even though he won't think so."

"Okay then. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye, Hermione."

Her father left and Hermione wandered back into Narcissa's room where Draco was having an in-depth conversation with the young mediwitch from before.

"She should wake up in a couple of days, now," the young mediwitch said.

"Is she over the worst of it, then?" Draco asked.

"Yes, she is. She has an incredibly strong heart beat for someone who was put under so much distress but she will pull through. However, she will carry side effects with her for the rest of her life."

Draco nodded numbly. "What like?"

"Shaking of the limbs. That's a typical side effect of prolonged use of the Cruciatus Curse. Some of the curses that she was hit with have left physical scars that cannot be removed as a result of the dark magic that was present in their creation."

"Mother! What on earth were you doing?" Draco started to yell at the unconscious figure in front of him.

"Mr Malfoy, please! You will not help matters out by yelling such things! She did what she believed she was able to do and it was a mistake. A simple mistake. Costly, but something anyone could do. She will get over it, if not now, she will in the future. I know women like your mother; so long as you are safe it does not matter at what cost she has injured herself."

Draco lowered his head. "I just wish she didn't do it, that's all."

"I know, Mr Malfoy. But what's done is done and we can only wait for her to wake up."

Draco sat down again and Hermione sat down beside him. The mediwitch was right; there was nothing that they could do now but wait.

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**Author's Notes:**

Okay, I know it was harsh to do that but necessary. You'll see why.**  
**


	39. Recovery

Oh my God, people! I'm uploading a chapter of Summer With The Grangers. That must mean that I've written more on it. Which I have, incidentally. We are getting to the end.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 39: Recovery**

Three days, four hours, thirty seven minutes and 5 seconds after Narcissa Daphne Malfoy was brought into the emergency wing of St. Mungo's with her injuries, she awoke from her coma. The time had passed at a snail's pace for those concerned and none moreso than Draco. He had not left Narcissa's bedside except for the odd break, at Hermione's and the mediwitch's insistence.

At least he didn't have to sit any longer waiting. Draco was beside himself when he saw his mother's eyes slowly lift and could not hide his joy at feeling the hand that he had been holding squeeze his gently in response.

"Mother!" he exclaimed, although not too loudly as to startle her.

"She is still quite weak at the moment, Mr Malfoy, but yes, she is awake."

"That's all that matters, that's all I care about."

"Oh Draco," his mother's weak but determined voice muttered.

"Mother! Oh God, I was so worried you wouldn't wake up!"

"I was always – " Narcissa's voice broke into a raspy cough. " – Going to."

"Rest now, Mrs Malfoy," the mediwizard in charge instructed. "You are still quite weak for now. Please rest and you will recover much quicker."

Narcissa did not answer but instead squeezed Draco's hand before drifting back off to sleep. It didn't matter; the fact was that his mother was out of her coma and was now just resting.

When Hermione walked in, Draco couldn't help but keep the smile off his face. In return, she hugged him.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed. "God, I'm glad!"

"I know. She just needs her rest now."

"Oh, it's so good to see her breathing normally, as well!"

"You have no idea how I feel right now. I'm just so glad to see her awake, of course she is sleeping now but seeing her sleeping knowing that she can wake up if I nudge her instead of her being in a coma. It's just a relief more than anything."

"I bet. Well, we can only let her get some rest. Why don't you come out and get something to eat? She will sleep for a while now; you'll be alright to leave her for a few minutes."

Draco was always hesitant to leave his mother for a second but knew that Hermione was right and that if he didn't, his mother would probably scold him later on for not worrying about himself. They made their way down to the cafeteria near the waiting room and both ordered some coffee and a croissant each.

They ate their food in silence but both pleased about the outcome.

Upon their return, Draco knew that he needed to catch up on some sleep as well, and despite the coffee that he and Hermione had just had, he managed to drift off to sleep in the chair beside Narcissa's bed, with Hermione reading a book beside him in the other chair.

Jane and Robert arrived later that night and granted Hermione some time to herself. Narcissa had still not woken from the rest that she was having and it appeared that she would not do so until the next day at the least. The various potions that she was required to take kept her in a fairly docile state so that she would not feel the more serious injuries to her body.

"How are you going, Draco?" Jane asked softly.

"I'm doing better now that Mother's awake," Draco responded.

"She certainly looks a lot more at peace than she had the previous few days. I hope that the mental scarring isn't as bad as the physical scarring. She has suffered enough, from the sounds of things."

"I only wish it were me and not her that received those wounds."

"Nonsense, Draco. If she is anything like us she would be glad that it was her and not you. If we were in her position, we would feel all the pain in the world to ensure Hermione does not have to feel it."

Draco looked up. "Really?"

Robert nodded. "You won't know the feeling until you have children of your own, but it is a very, and I mean, very strong instinct of a parent to ensure the safety of their child. It's very different with women again. I've heard Jane say that the umbilical chord never breaks, despite you not physically being attached to your mother anymore."

Draco had heard of something similar in the Wizarding World, although he did not credit it as being a womanly thing in general. Then again, he had not heard it since coming into the Muggle World with Hermione.

"I have heard of something similar in the Wizarding World, although I thought it was more like a saying or something," he said, starting to understand.

"It is true, Draco," Jane explained. "Hermione will know it as well when she becomes a mother."

Draco smiled. He could imagine Hermione's protective instinct coming out when she became a mother; if she was so protective of him while he was waiting for his mother to awaken from her coma, she would definitely be protective of her future children.

"Have you got any sleep today?" Robert asked, concerned.

"Yeah a bit. I managed a few hours' sleep when Hermione was in here. Although, I might ask if they can make up a bed; I really, really need a better night's sleep than the ones I've been having. Now that Mother's awoken, I can sleep easier."

"We'll take care of that," Jane assured.

She left to go find a staff member and within ten minutes a bed beside Narcissa's was made up for Draco to go to sleep in.

"Have a good rest, Draco," the young mediwitch from the rounds told him gently. "You need your strength just as much as your mother does."

Draco only nodded and started to take off his shoes.

Before he got too far, Robert said, "We will have to go home, Draco but one of us will be back in the morning. Did you want Hermione to stay with you?"

"I would love her to but she needs sleep as well. I'm not sure if they will make up another bed."

"Probably not. They usually only reserve that right to immediate family and next-of-kins. I'll tell you what; you probably need some time to yourself with your mother anyway. You will be safe with the Aurors outside the door; especially since you are hidden from view from passers-by. At least, we all are."

"Hermione will want to say goodbye to you before we leave," Jane said. "I will send her in."

Robert and Jane left and a couple of minutes later Hermione wandered back in. Draco's face washed over with relief at seeing her. He couldn't believe it; she was only gone for an hour or so but still, he was always so glad to see her.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," she whispered in his ear. "Take good care of yourself tonight and sleep well. I'll be back here as soon as I can."

"I'll be okay. You have a good rest as well. You need a good rest just as much as me. You've done so much just by being here. I haven't forgotten what you've done for me."

Hermione looked taken aback. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"No, Hermione, thank you. Words can't describe the relief I feel when you are around me, especially now."

"Oh, don't say that! I won't want to go!"

Draco laughed softly. "Come on, you need your sleep too. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Hermione gave him a soft kiss. "Yes, you will."

Draco kissed her again then silently said goodbye and watched her leave. He was so glad for her comfort and he was just as glad that his mother had awoken from her coma. Her injuries were great but she had strength and he knew that with all the help he could give her, she would recover.

He watched the sleeping form of his mother in the bed beside him as he slowly drifted off to sleep; falling into a deep sleep that he had not realised had been missing during the last few nights.


End file.
